TFT Issue 967!
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
As ever, approach each tip with caution and intelligence. Every tip has the potential to win or to lose; it depends how the team plays. My advice would always be to watch the games (where possible) and bet in-play because you’ve got an idea of what should happen in the game (based on the preview) and you can judge if things are going the way that they should or not. In-play betting is a very valuable tool that is not to be overlooked! If you have any questions then feel free to ask.
Bankers
I’d be surprised if they all win as betting isn’t that simple but these are the bets that really should come in. You know it’s a weird day when the majority of them don’t come in!
No bankers today, sorry.
Featured game
Galatasaray vs Chelsea – away win at evens.
Today’s featured game is the UEFA Champions League game between Galatasaray and Chelsea in Turkey.
Istanbul is one hell of a difficult place to play in as an away team and that’s the first thing that Chelsea will have to handle if they’re to emerge victorious from the game. They’re experienced enough to handle it by now, though – they’ve been to all kinds of venues over the years and few in the tournament are more experienced than Mourinho himself. He knows how to settle them down and keep them composed so I expect a solid Chelsea display here.
Nullify the fans and then you have to take on the teams. Galatasaray arguably have the best squad in Turkey but they don’t tend to show it under Mancini. Some clubs only have one man that can manage them and in Galatasaray’s case, that’s perfectly true. Faith Terim always gets ths best out of this club and it’s no coincidence that they’re very hit-and-miss when he’s not there, like now. They’ve got former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini at the helm and his style doesn’t really suit Galatasaray. Galatasaray are an attacking side by nature; that’s why they signed Sneijder and Drogba to begin with! Mancini wants them to win with clean sheets, though, which is…interesting. He’s signed a number of defensive players to assist him on that front and although there has been some success, it’s not been widespread because they’re not very good at it. Subsequently, the advantage has to be with a rather settled and ominously good Chelsea side.
Galatasaray have the players to damage Chelsea but I don’t honestly believe that they’ll play enough of an intelligent game to trouble the London club. If Chelsea can’t handle the vociferous fans then they’re in trouble because it’s really hard to play in such atmospheres. However, Mancini’s Galatasaray leaves me really, really cold. They’re too cautious and they’re not good enough at playing that way. They should be attacking and scoring goals; that’s what they’re best at. They’re not going to win this game by trying to be smarter than a team that is a lot smarter than they are, to be frank.
As long as Mourinho’s boys keep their cool and take the chances that will come their way, the away win looks good to me at evens.
Verdict: Chelsea to win at evens.
Additional game
Rijeka vs Dinamo Zagreb – away win at 5/4.
Rijeka are slowly emerging as the main threat to Dinamo’s dominance over Croatian football due to the money behind the club. They’re still not as big as Hajduk Split but Hajduk don’t have the same kind of backing as Rijeka so barring some kind of intervention, you have to expect Rijeka to eventually become a good Prva Liga side.
However, for the present time, they’re not in Dinamo’s league and I doubt that’ll change here. Rijeka are capable of troubling Dinamo but Rijeka will actually attack Dinamo, which other Prva Liga sides don’t because Dinamo will beat them. Rijeka really should lose if they try to attack Dinamo but their owner surely won’t allow them to just defend here. He wants them to attack, to score goals, to beat sides like Dinamo and I expect that to contribute to their downfall here. Rijeka have been poor lately, especially in the final third. They’re not good at scoring goals and they’re now playing their fourth game in ten days, which they simply don’t have the squad nor the experience to handle, in my opinion. This is a very difficult game at the best of times but with tired legs and unconvincing displays, I don’t fancy Rijeka to be able to stop Dinamo here.
Dinamo played well at Hrvatski last time out and would have scored a lot more if they didn’t get complacent in front of goal but they did because Hrvatski are a small team. I expect them to be more professional and more motivated for what is essentially a rather big game nowadays and if that happens then they should do well here. Dinamo have the biggest squad in Croatia and a lot of experience. They’ve played fewer games than Rijeka lately and are much fresher as a result. If the collective game isn’t working for Dinamo then they’ve got Soudani, Fernandes, Cop, Brozovic, and youngster Halilovic to bail them out. Rijeka just don’t have that wealth of talent, you know? Take Kramaric and Kvrzic out of this squad and they look much more ordinary than they should. Star striker Benko has been sold so what will Rijeka do here? Dinamo have more depth, more quality, and more consistency than their hosts so I expect them do the job here and reaffirm their status as the best club in Croatia.
This won’t be an easy game for Dinamo but 5/4 is too long for the best side in Croatia to win. Dinamo haven’t won here in their last few attempts but they’ve not even conceded during their last two visits. I expect a close affair but if Dinamo get that crucial first goal then they should hold it.
Verdict: Dinamo Zagreb to win at 5/4.
Team news
UEFA Champions League:
Real Madrid – Khedira is absent. Marcelo and Coentrao are doubts.
Schalke 04 – Hoger, Clemens, Uchida, and Kirchhoff are absent. Howedes is a doubt.