TFT Issue 536!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
Featured game
Juventus vs SSC Napoli – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Today’s featured game is the gargantuan Serie A clash between Juventus and SSC Napoli. This game won’t decide the title, in my opinion, but it’s still being played between the two best sides in Italy right now and I think we’re in for a very good spectacle.
Neither side has lost a Serie A game this season, which is impressive. I could be proven wrong but I suspect that one of the two sides will leave this game without that record entact tonight but we’ll see.
My interest in this game is not the difficult 1×2 market but more the goals market. I don’t think I need to wax lyrical about the sheer class and firepower that both sides possess here. I mean, Juventus miss Montenegrin striker Vucinic today and as much as I rate him overall, he’s done very little this season to impress me so I’m not too concerned, especially not with Quagliarella in sublime form and eager to impress against his former club. Pirlo pulling the strings and the large number of engines surrounding him makes this Juventus machine work beautifully and I’ve not seen any side other than Fiorentina stop it with any conviction this season.
Can Napoli stop them from doing their thing? I doubt it. Napoli’s whole philosophy is based upon them scoring goals rather than stopping opponents, hence them usually deploying a 3-5-2. They do tend to sit and wait for counter-attacks on the road, yes, but this formation is not designed to contain – it’s designed to unleash. Napoli are lethal playing it, too, with all kinds of players making very good runs a lot of the time. Cavani is the hitman and Hamsik is the playmaker but as far as the rest go, they interchange far too much to be marked, in my opinion. Take Maggio, for example – he’s almost never doing nothing and he’s impossible to stop when he’s on one of his crazy runs. When their defence is put under pressure, though, Napoli do look susceptible at the back. Their midfield does a good job, hence their defensive record not too looking incriminating. However, I expect Pirlo and co. to penetrate their midfield here and if they do then goals should come, one way or another.
These two sides don’t like each other so cards are to be expected here. I’m all for over 2.5 goals at 4/5, though – there really should be too much firepower on the pitch for this game to do anything but contain goals, especially with veteran goalkeeper Buffon out today – Juventus’ defence tend to miss him a lot when he doesn’t play.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Additional games
Zulte-Waregem vs Lokeren – home win at evens.
You guys should know by now that I’ve become a temporary advocate of the Zulte-Waregem cause because they’re frankly the most consistent side in Belgium right now in terms of what they produce on the pitch. Under Dury, this side knows precisely what it should be doing at every stage of each game. They work hard, they’re well-organised, physically strong, and dangerous in front of goal. They do miss the suspended Colpaert from their defence today, which is a pity, but they’re still in good condition ahead of this game. Dury’s team has already won three out of five home games this season and have looked strong in all of their games for my money. This side will always play well whilst Berrier pulls the strings and Dury is at the helm. Zulte-Waregem are one of those sides that their opponents just can’t stop despite knowing what to expect and that’s what I think we’ll see again today. Don’t get me wrong here – Lokeren really aren’t a bad side; far from it. To the contrary, they’re actually a good side that has under-achieved for about eighteen months or so now. Their inability to score goals on a regular basis is damaging them each season but they’re actually well-organised and they’re certainly not easy to beat. Their ability to win games relies an awful lot on what Maric and promising youngster Patosi can produce, though, hence them not winning so many games. This side will always work hard but with average strikers and only a couple of decent players, I find it hard to see them taking a good result from this game today. For me, there really should be value on the home win at evens.
Verdict: Zulte-Waregem to win at evens.
Slaven Koprivnica vs Cibalia Vinkovci – home win with -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
I’ll give Dinamo Zagreb their due respect for winning 1-4 here before the international break but don’t make the mistake of thinking that they ripped their hosts apart because they didn’t. Dinamo simply took their chances far better than Slaven and Slaven were playing below-par, it has to be said.
Today’s game should be very different, however. Slaven are dynamite at home against 95% of Prva Liga opponents and Cibalia shouldn’t be the exception today, irrespective of their bogey team status in the past. The absence of Bubnjic and Puric at the back does concern me today as Slaven’s defence have looked poor without them. The absence of attacking midfielder Rak is a problem too. However, they’ve got more than enough in Vugrinec, Busic, Gregurina, Batarelo, Glavica, and Delic to trouble their opponents in the final third and Slaven usually have ample opportunities to show that in their home games as no side likes facing them here. Slaven have had a bit of a break so they should be raring to go and get their Prva Liga campaign back on track today.
In some ways, Cibalia are the ideal opponents because they will literally just sit back and soak up what Slaven throw at them. To be fair, Cibalia are very good at frustrating their opponents, hence their reputation. They’re more than capable of holding their own against most sides. However, if you break through that defence and get the first goal against them then they don’t know what to do. They don’t have an adequate “Plan B” for games like these and that’s precisely why they’ve lost four out of four when it’s come to playing tough away games this season. They fell behind in three of those games and never recovered whilst they threw away a 0-1 lead to lose 3-1 at Split. You can see how deep Cibalia sit from the fact that two of the opening goals in those defeats came from the penalty spot and we may well see the same again today if Slaven turn it on. I respect Cibalia as a defensive unit but I don’t see what they’re going to do if/when Slaven take the lead.
For me, this game will develop like all of the other games this season have done when Cibalia have travelled to face a good side. Cibalia will push out after conceding the first goal and Slaven are more than good enough to tear them apart then. I won’t rule out a cheeky Cibalia goal due to Slaven’s defensive issues, hence the use of the Asian Handicap rather than the European Handicap, but I do like the idea of Slaven playing their usual strong home game and breaking the -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Verdict: Slaven Koprivnica to beat the -1 Asian Handicap at 11/10.
Rijeka vs Split – home win at evens.
I can’t say that I am Rijeka’s biggest fan but I really admire the way that they’re playing right now and I’m keen to try to take advantage of it. The fact is that they’ve won four out of their last five Prva Liga games and they’ve beaten the three best sides in Croatia along the way so their morale is rightly sky-high. They have momentum on their side and are always a strong home side, irrespective of how well they’re playing. Ask any player in the Prva Liga where the toughest away games are and I can guarantee that they’ll say Split, Zagreb, Koprivnica, and Rijeka. Scoria’s side are scoring goals for fun, even when they’re not creating many chances, and I very much like the direction that the club is heading in right now. I don’t rate any of their strikers but their midfield is helping them out a lot, especially Kreilach and Weitzer, and I expect them to do the job today.
Visitors Split are easily one of the worst away sides in the country. I can’t explain to you quite why that is because they’re actually a pretty damn good side, especially at home. Anyway, the Split board decided enough was enough and replaced Basic with Vulic as boss. His first challenge will be to make a solid defence and I very much doubt that he can do that today, truth be told. Krizanac is still on the sidelines and today he’ll be joined by Vidic and Marcic, both of which form three of the usual back four with Krizanac so it’s reasonable to expect them to at least concede today. Obilinovic is still out up front and with Cop having moved on pre-season, Split are finding it hard to score goals against good sides. Conceding goals and not scoring enough of them is never a good combination and that’s especially true today.
Split have lost four out of five on the road already this season and only woeful defensive antics from Osijek allowed them back into that game, which ended 2-2. Split have lost both trips to Rijeka since returning to the Prva Liga and with so many important players out for them today, I fancy the home side to beat them easily enough.
Verdict: Rijeka to win at evens.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea – over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
This is quite a bold call, I feel, as it really does depend on Spurs continuing their good run and Chelsea taking their chances.
I do like it a lot, though, I must confess. I’ve long been an admirer of Villas-Boas and it’s encouraging to see that he’s now got his feet under the table at White Hart Lane. Spurs are playing better football with more of a swagger since he took over and I think that they’ll be able to maintain that here. Villas-Boas always demanded control of his team and in exchange he delivered consistency and efficiency. I’ve lost count of the number of times I made a packet on taking Porto to win games that they had no reason to win because of how much Villas-Boas loves winning. Well, I can’t imagine a game that he’d want to win more than a game against his former employers Chelsea; can you?! Spurs do have some strong offensive weapons, especially when it comes to pace down the flanks, so I do think that they’ll trouble Chelsea today.
That said, Chelsea are the team to beat right now, aren’t they? Six wins from seven games is extremely impressive and they need to be respected in this game. Still, it’s the first game of John Terry’s four-match ban and they’ll miss his leadership at the back, which is something that Villas-Boas will no doubt look to capitalise on. The likes of Hazard, Mata, Oscar, and Ramires ensure that Chelsea have a very talented and mobile midfield, which always helps against Spurs as that’s their main strength, in my view. However, I don’t see them keeping a clean sheet here without Terry and they may well lose as a result.
I don’t like the 1×2 market here, though – there are too many ifs and buts. However, taking over 2.5 goals appeals to me a lot at 4/5.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Manchester United vs Stoke City – home win with -1.5 handicap at 5/6.
It’s too early to say for sure but it looks like the home defeat against Spurs has kicked United into life. There are still things to improve upon but I’ve liked what I have seen in their last two games as United have played their own game, both at Cluj and at Newcastle United, and have won both times. United conceded a stupid early goal in Romania but still managed to play their own football, which was nice to see. Nobody was more amazed than I was with the superb display at Newcastle before the international break, either. I really don’t recall the last time that Man Utd scored twice from corners in the same game (it’s rare enough that we score one!) so there’s something to be said for Newcastle’s defensive woes too. Still, it was United’s approach that led to Newcastle’s downfall and I really admire the way that the team pulled together, worked hard, and ultimately brought about the correct result. United’s defence is looking more settled and with Jonny Evans in superb form, it’s not hard to see why! That allows the midfield and attack to flourish and with Rooney back, United are far from short of attacking options.
Stoke usually come to Old Trafford to sit in their own half until they can counter-attack down the flanks and try to feed their big attackers. Stoke have some massive players so I’m sure that they’ll be a constant threat from set pieces and crosses. United were immense when it came to stopping Newcastle using the exact same strength against us in the last Premier League game, however, and I think United will try to do exactly the same here. The problem that Stoke have here is that they never attack often enough to score one of their chances. They do create chances, obviously, but you need to create a few before you score one, you know? They usually don’t get that opportunity at Old Trafford and it tends to go downhill for them after they concede the first goal. Until that goal goes in, the game usually looks very square and even but after that, United tend to dominate and score another goal or two.
To be honest, that’s the type of game I expect here. United won’t want to tire themselves ahead of a tough UCL game with Braga looming large. I expect United to get that first goal and then wrap things up with another goal or two. Stoke may poach a goal along the way but United really should have enough firepower to beat the -1.5 handicap today.
Verdict: Manchester United to beat the -1.5 handicap at 5/6.
Flora Paide vs Flora Tallinn – home win with +1 Asian Handicap at 9/10.
Everything is going wrong for Flora Tallinn. The Meistriliiga season isn’t over yet but it might as well be for them. Financial problems have led to star Finnish midfielder Minkenen leaving the club, as have boss Reim and his assistant Kivisild. New boss Lelov has been installed and he’s already appointed a new captain. Flora Tallinn’s chairman has come out and said that a lot of players are owed wages; some from the past month and some from previous seasons(!) so it’s hardly an ideal time for the struggling giants of Estonian football. They’ve got some very good players but they’re mostly kids so this kind of news will not be welcome in their dressing room, especially not after their 0-1 defeat against Trans Narva. Flora Tallinn are going to have to start rebuilding for next season so I very much doubt that they’ll have the motivation to do anything today. Flora Paide aren’t as good as their namesakes but they’ve been very strong this season when it’s come to defending and frustrating their opponents. Despite the absence of Allas, I believe that Paide have enough tenacity and organisation to really frustrate Flora Tallinn today. God help Tallinn if Paide take the lead here because I don’t think they have the experience nor the motivation to turn things around. Even if Tallinn do win this game, it’ll be against all odds that they hammer this well-organised Paide defence so for me, there should be value in giving Paide a +1 Asian Handicap at 9/10.
Verdict: Flora Paide to win with +1 Asian Handicap at 9/10.
Mjallby Solvesborg vs BK Hacken Goteborg – away win at 4/5.
The Allsvenskan is gradually drawing to a close and Hacken are still very much in the mix for the title, surprisingly enough. I have to be honest here too – they are playing the best football out of all of the title challengers and I fervently hope that they win it for that reason. In each Hacken game, you can see how much they want this title and I personally think that they have a decent chance. They’ve got a run-in full of games that they can win with their only tough one being AIK Solna at home, which I think they can win. They need Elfsborg Boras to slip-up, though, and the only game where I can see them doing that is on the trip to IFK Norrkoping so it’ll be interesting to see how that game goes this weekend.
Returning to today’s game, though – Mjallby are notorious for having a slow defence. That defence will be decimated today if left exposed because Makondele, Williams, and especially Waris are all lightning-fast and are very good off the ball. Waris has impressed a lot of scouts lately with rumours circling that he’ll be at Schalke 04 at the end of the Allsvenskan and who could blame them? This kid looks very, very good indeed. I wasn’t so sure about him at the start of the season but he’s been terrific lately and he inspires this Hacken side. Hacken push from start to finish and their superior stamina and energy often gives them a key advantage in games, especially as the season draws to a close. I don’t think Mjallby have what it takes to contain them today, to be honest. If they still had Kivuvu and Fejzullahu then perhaps so; they were more dangerous then. However, I think they look slow right now and I think they lack the motivation to do anything here. Don’t get me wrong – Mjallby love to score goals and to upset the odds. However, I think Hacken will have too much for them here, just as they have for almost all other opponents lately. Therefore, me call is to take Hacken to win this crucial game at 4/5.
Verdict: BK Hacken Goteborg to win at 4/5.
Bursaspor vs Fenerbahce – home win with draw no bet at evens.
Despite Fenerbahce being the bigger and better side, you have to feel that they’ll struggle here. Fenerbahce were pretty good prior to the international break but they enter this game with a number of issues, issues that I can’t see a solution to.
I mean, with Bursaspor, you know what you’re getting when they’re at home. They have excellent support, they work hard, they rarely give goals away, and they’re always a threat. Their finishing could do with some work but they’ve actually done very well in the final third this season, much moreso than the quality level of their team suggests that they will. I respect Bursaspor an awful lot. They’re not the most entertaining of sides but they’re efficient and they will cause sides problems if they don’t work hard or if they underestimate them.
Well, Fenerbahce can be accused of not working hard enough on occasions this season but that could be even more of a problem today as it’s their midfield which drives the team and both Topal and Meireles are out for this game with replacement Topuz likely to be out too. Both right-backs – Gonul and Sam – are missing, as is powerful centre-back Yobo. Fenerbahce may need to field youngster Ucan as Kesimal may not be fit yet so it’s hard to envision Fenerbahce having the necessary cohesion in their side nor the necessary leadership to get a result in this difficult game. The likes of Kuyt, Sow, and sulky Krasic can all be dangerous attacking threats but with no midfield to inspire the team, I suspect that Fenerbahce will really struggle here today.
For me, the value must be on the home win with draw no bet cover at evens.
Verdict: Bursaspor to win with draw no bet at evens.
Team news
Argentinian Primera Division:
Racing Club Avellaneda – No absentees.
Newell’s Old Boys – Maxi Rodriguez is absent.
All Boys – Vildozo is absent.
Belgrano de Cordoba – No absentees.
Union de Santa Fe – Miguez, Bianchi, Galvan are absent. Avendano is a doubt.
San Martin de San Juan – Caprari and Bustos are absent.
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza – Ibanez is a doubt.
San Lorenzo de Almagro – Romagnoli and Voboril are absent.
Tigre – No absentees.
Velez Sarsfield – Copete is absent. Peruzzi is a doubt.
Australian A-League:
Newcastle Jets – Brown, Neville, and Kennedy are doubts. Birighitti returns.
Central Coast Mariners – Caceres and Oates are absent. Bozanic is a doubt. Kwasnik and McGlinchey return.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Trifiro is a doubt.
Sydney FC – Bosschaart and Griffiths are absent. Sherlock and Antonis are doubts.
Brazilian Serie A:
Corinthians – Ralf, Paulinho, Fabio Santos, Alessandro, and Paulo Andre are rested. Emerson is absent. Danilo is a doubt. Ramirez, Martinez, Chicao, and Jorge Henrique return.
Bahia – Souza, Helder, Avine, and Jones Carioca are absent. Elias returns.
Gremio – Fabio Aurelio, Marcelo Moreno, and Anderson Pico are absent. Bertoglio returns.
Coritiba – Deivid, Lincoln, Keirrison, Jackson, Sergio Manoel, Emerson, Everton Costa, Bonfim, Robinho, Pereira, and Ayrton are absent. Ruidiaz returns.
Palmeiras – Joao Denoni, Joao Vitor, Maikon Leite, Valdivia, Correa, Fernandinho, and Wesley are absent. Juninho and Thiago Heleno return.
Cruzeiro – Wallyson, Leo, Wellington Paulista, Montillo, and Alex Silva are absent. Victorino returns.
Bulgarian A PFG:
CSKA Sofia – Platini is absent. Neutral venue – Vasi Levski.
Levski Sofia – Ramos and Vezalov are absent.
Croatian Prva Liga:
Rijeka – No absentees.
Split – Serdarusic, Marcic, Obilanovic, Vidic, and Krizanac are absent. New boss – Vulic.
Slaven Koprivnica – Puric, Rak, and Bubnjic are absent. Batarelo is a doubt.
Cibalia Vinkovci – No news.
Inter Zapresic – No news.
Dinamo Zagreb – Carrasco, Halilovic, and Peko are absent.
Osijek – No news.
Zadar – No news.
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Ceske Budejovice – Repka, Riegel, and Linhart are absent.
Slovacko – Fujerik, Kosut, and Kordula are absent.
Banik Ostrava – No absentees.
Zbrojovka Brno – Svancara and Fall are absent.
Viktoria Plzen – Hanousek is absent. Horvath, Kolar, and Prochazka are doubts.
Jablonec – No absentees.
Danish Superligaen:
Aalborg BK – Bogelund is absent.
SonderjyskE – Hajdarevic and H.Jonasson are absent. Lodberg and H.Hansen return.
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Tallinna Kalev – R.Kago is absent.
Tammeka – No absentees.
Kuressaare – No absentees.
Levadia Tallinn – No absentees.
Nomme Kalju – No absentees.
Sillamae Kalev – Malinin and Gnedojus are absent.
Viljandi – No news.
Trans Narva – No news.
Flora Paide – Allas is absent.
Flora Tallinn – Minkenen has left. New boss – Lelov. Financial problems.
French Ligue 1:
Paris Saint-Germain – Luyindula, Verratti, Lavezzi, Thiago Motta, Lugano, Bodmer, and Chantome are absent. Rabiot and Sakho return.
Stade de Reims – Fauverge, Peuget, Sekkat, and Fortes are absent. Ayite and Toudic return.
Evian Thonon Gaillard – Govou, M’Madi, Khelifa, Ehret, Bugnet, Cambon, Kone, and Barbosa are absent. Angoula returns.
Toulouse – M’Bengue and Sissoko are absent. Akpa Akpro returns.
AS Nancy-Lorraine – Zenke, Grange, Muratori, Rachid, and Dampha are absent. Hammar and Helder return.
Sochaux – Dias, Mikari, Daf, Lopy, and Doubai are absent.
OGC Nice – Rafetraniaina, Anin, Dao Castellana, Bahoken, M’Bow, Fofana, and Hennion are absent. Kolodziejczak, Pentecote, and Bautheac return.
Saint-Etienne – Diomande, Mignot, and Nicolita are absent. Alonso and Clerc return.
Stade Rennais – Pajot, Montano, M’Vila, Mavinga, Sane, and Boye are absent.
Montpellier HSC – Yanga-Mbiwa, Bocaly, Ait-Fana, and Estrada are absent. Utaka, Bedimo, and Mounier return.
Valenciennes – Nery, Mater, and Pujol are absent. Traore returns.
Lorient – Reale, Mulumba, Autret, Mareque, Coutadeur, and Ecuele Manga are absent. Lautoa returns.
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Siofok – Fulop, Nagy, Kiss, and Kecskes are absent.
Kaposvari Rakoczi – Vrucina, Zambo, Waltner, and Zsok are absent.
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Hapoel Haifa – No absentees.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva – Falczuk is absent. Saba’a and Ka’at return.
Hapoel Ramat Gan – Zaguri, Borgic, and Onanga are absent. Chen and Avsidris are doubts. Paic has left.
Maccabi Netanya – Saba’a returns. Maccabi Netanya temporarily share the stadium with their hosts.
MS Ashdod – Zemah may debutise.
Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona – Hasarma and Einbinder are absent. New boss – Bachar.
Ironi Ramat Hasharon – Ostwynd is absent. Abutbul is a doubt.
Bnei Sakhnin – Abbas is absent. Embamba is a doubt.
Hapoel Acre – Abu-Ria is absent. Players haven’t been paid for some time.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv – Vered and Levi are absent. Gohouri and Tibi are doubts. Atar and Earnshaw return.
Italian Serie A:
Juventus – Vucinic, De Ceglie, Pepe, and Buffon are absent.
SSC Napoli – Britos and El-Kaddouri are absent.
Lazio – Ederson, Stankevicius, Radu, and Onazi are absent.
AC Milan – Mesbah, Robinho, Abbiati, Strasser, Didac Vila, Muntari, Ambrosini, and Zapata are absent.
Dutch Eredivisie:
Heracles Almelo – Schenkeveld, Vujicevic, Davidson, Veldmate, Vejinovic, and Koenders are absent.
AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Serero, Boilesen, Sigthorsson, and Klaassen are absent.
NAC Breda – Zonneveld, Looms, and Seuntjens are absent.
Vitesse Arnhem – Ibarra, Chanturia, van der Struijk, and Room are absent.
PSV Eindhoven – Pieters, van Bommel, and Toivonen are absent.
Willem II – Lumu and van der Reijt are absent.
Roda JC Kerkrade – Djum and Delorge are absent.
Twente Enschede – Bjelland, Rendla, Bulykin, and Fer are absent.
AZ Alkmaar – Maher, Lewis, Altidore, Martens, and Falkenburg are absent.
NEC Nijmegen – Amieux and Loen are absent.
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow – Nowak is absent. Szmatiuk, Wilusz, Basta, and Stachowiak are doubts.
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala – Pietrasiak and Jelen may debutise.
Piast Gliwice – Lisowski, Urban, Swierczok, and Jurado are absent. Matras, Oleksy, and Zbozien may return.
Widzew Lodz – Lebedev and Radzio are doubts.
Wisla Krakow – Burliga is absent.
Jagiellonia Bialystok – Porebski is absent. Bandrowski is a doubt.
Polish Liga 1;
Stomil Olszytn – Ptak and Stefanowicz are doubts.
Miedz Legnica – Alexandre, Wolczek, Zasada, Hempel, and Bledzewski are absent. Kusnierz may debutise.
Bogdanka Leczna – No news.
Nieciecza – Biskup is absent.
Katowice – Pietron and Goncerz are absent. Tomkowicz may debutise. Cholerzynski returns.
Brzesko – No news.
Arka Gdynia – Benevente is absent. Sobieraj and Jarzebowski are doubts.
Olimpia Grudziadz – No news.
Romanian Liga:
Petrolul Ploiesti – Cojocnean, Grecu, and Alcenat are absent.
Turnu Severin – No absentees.
Otelul Galati – Didi, Sg Costin, and S.Ilie are absent.
Astra Giurgiu – Melinte, Ben Djemia, and Matel are absent.
Russian Premier League:
Anzhi Makhachkala – Pomazan, Akhmedov, and Carlos are absent.
Spartak Moscow – Dikan, Parshivlyuk, Gatagov, Pareja, Romulo, McGeady, and Yakolev are absent.
Zenit St.Petersburg – Danny and Bruno Alves are absent.
Kuban’ Krasnodar – Fiedler is absent.
FK Krasnodar – Lambarschi is absent.
Alaniya Vladikavkaz – Dacosta, Grigoriev, Hubulov, and Tsarikaev are absent.
Spanish Primera Liga:
Barcelona – Daniel Alves, Thiago Alcantara, Puyol, Pique, Abidal, Cuenca, and Muniesa are absent.
Deportivo La Coruna – Bodipo and Pablo are absent.
Malaga – Sanchez, Monreal, Buonanotte, Toulalan, and Baptista are absent.
Real Valladolid – Rubio and Sastre are absent.
Valencia CF – Feghouli and Canales are absent.
Athetlic Club de Bilbao – Gurpegi and Castillo are absent.
Real Madrid – Marcelo, Benzema, Higuain, Coentrao, Khedira, and Arbeloa are absent.
Celta de Vigo – Varas and Insa are absent.
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Gefle – Bernhardsson is absent.
Atvidaberg – No news.
Mjallby Solvesborg – No news.
BK Hacken Goteborg – No news.
Turkish Super Lig:
Bursaspor – Ipek is absent.
Fenerbahce – Yobo, Gonul, Topal, Topuz, Meireles, Sam, and Beinvenu are absent.
Ordsupor – Monje and Sahin are absent.
Elazigspor – Feindouno, Zaki, Zeeglar, Ak, and Sahin are absent. New boss – Vural.
Antalyaspor – Minev and Torun are absent.
Sivasspor – Celikay, Bekmezci, Erdal, and Kavuk are absent.
Ukrainian Premier League:
Dynamo Kiev – Betao, Danilo Silva, and Leandro Almeida are absent.
Metalist Kharkiv – Jose Sosa and Seba Blanco are absent.