Trelleborg vs Syrianska Sodertalje
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Allsvenskan encounter between Trelleborg and Syrianska Sodertalje. The hosts have really turned it on of late whereas their newly-promoted opponents are still finding life very hard in this division.
I have a lot of respect for Trelleborg and it’s because of their spirit, basically. They don’t have any of what I would call “stars” in their ranks, although if you pushed me then I’d say Marcus Pode was arguably their best player. However, this side is the absolute epitome of the word “unity” in the Allsvenskan and their high league finish last season proved that perfectly. It took Trelleborg a few games to get going this season but since their 1-2 win at Gefle, Trelleborg have gone unbeaten in a run which now stretches to seven games in all competitions, winning five times along the way. They’ve beaten title hopefuls Elfsborg Boras 3-0 at home, won in difficult conditions at Mjallby Solvesborg and even claimed a 1-1 draw from an unenviable trip to face IFK Goteborg last match. Their momentum is strong and their morale is sky-high, no doubt due to their never-say-die attitude. It takes a good side to stop in-form Trelleborg from winning and I just don’t think Syrianska Sodertalje are capable of being good enough.
The visitors have shown plenty of pluck since promotion but have shown little in the way of quality. The only game they’ve actually won this season was their 3-0 win against IFK Norrkoping last match, who were promoted with Syrianska Sodertalje. Incidentally, Syrianska do have another three points from a “win” but that was awarded to them following AIK’s nutcase fans doing their usual shit. Ignoring the AIK game, Syrianska have scored in three out of their last nine games in all competitions, including a 0-0 draw at Superettan outfit Falkenberg in the Svenska Cupen. They’ve not scored in three out of their last four games so is it any wonder that they’ve already lost five out of their nine Allsvenskan games thus far? Syrianska have played four Allsvenskan away games thus far, losing all of them and failing to score in any of them. They bring little quality to the game and they’re facing a very solid Trelleborg side – I’m sure you can see why I don’t fancy them here!
Odds of 5/6 aren’t superb but there’s still value there, in my eyes. It might be tighter than you’d expect but I still think Trelleborg will win this one with all the above in mind so that’s my call today, especially as Syrianska still miss talismanic striker Ijeh through suspension.
Team news – Syrianska Sodertalje miss Ijeh.
Verdict: Trelleborg to win at 5/6.
Thursday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
ADO Den Haag vs Groningen – home win at evens.
“Impressed” is not even the word that describes how I feel about ADO Den Haag this season – they’ve been truly immense. I have to admit that I didn’t think they’d get past Roda JC Kerkrade last round – not because they weren’t good enough but because they’d looked tired in their previous few Eredivisie games – but they beat them at home and away and I’m glad they did; they’ve earned the right to be here this season, in my view.
ADO Den Haag are a team with terrific spirit and it’s that spirit which underpins their overall displays. To think that only five teams have won more home games than they have in the Eredivisie this season is staggering; they were only in the Eerste Divisie three years ago! This side has dramatically improved and although they’re absolutely suspect in defence, they more than make up for it by scoring a lot of goals. Indeed, they average scoring over two goals per home game currently and it’s largely thanks to the budding partnership of Verhoek and Bulykin that they’ve achieved it. Kubik, Immers, and Vicento have all contributed and ADO Den Haag are very much a “squad” rather than a team with some average players and and some brilliant players, although it has to be noted that they don’t tend to fare as well when Verhoek isn’t playing! ADO Den Haag play attractive attacking football and with the team in such high spirits and on such a good run of scoring goals, I can’t overlook them beating Groningen today, although they’ve ironically never beaten Groningen since being promoted a few years ago.
Could that all be about to change today though? I think it could be. It’s a well-known fact that Groningen concede too many goals away from the EuroBorg, which subsequently leads to them losing more away games than they win. They’ve lost five out of their last seven away games with the most recent being their 3-2 defeat at Heracles Almelo in a game that they were fairly comfortably outplayed in. With Slovenian starlet Matavz likely to be back in the starting line-up today following his injury, nobody can deny the potency of Groningen or their desire to attack and score goals. However, despite also welcoming back Kieftenbeld into midfield, they’ve also lost Swedish midfielders Andersson and Holla through injury and Finnish international Tim Sparv through suspension so they’re struggling here. Those three players – especially Sparv – are regulars in this midfield (or at least have been for the past couple of months) and those are substantial losses for Groningen in a game that they need to keep possession in or face being undone by ADO Den Haag’s attacking prowess. Groningen have demonstrated on numerous occasions this season that they cannot defend away from home and if they show that trait today then they’re in a for long night at the EuroBorg in the return leg.
I expect a lot of goals here, as there usually is between these two sides and as there usually is in each team’s games; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that one out. However, I’m going with an ADO Den Haag win here because I can see them capitalising on a Groningen midfield that is suffering due to absentees and given that Groningen can’t sit back and defend unlike other Eredivisie sides, I think this game is ADO Den Haag’s to throw away. For me, there’s value on the home win at evens.
Team news – Groningen miss Sparv, Andersson, and Holla.
Verdict: ADO Den Haag to win at evens.
Halmstad vs IFK Goteborg – both sides to score at 5/6.
It’s about time Halmstad started delivering the goods and this may be the ideal platform for them to prove their value too.
Why? Well, Halmstad started the season full of promise following the introduction of Spanish boss Ruiz and the subsequent Spaniards he introduced to the club – Ruiz, Zamora, Diaz, Hernandez, and Nauzet. A good number of these players are on loan from Real Madrid’s “B” team so you can see how strong Halmstad can be potentially. Ruiz has made his team play football and it’s taken some time for them to cast off the shackles of the Allsvenskan long ball tactic but it’s finally working. They won 1-0 against Mjallby Solvesborg in their last home game to end a diabolical run and were desperately unlucky to lose 3-2 at Elfsborg Boras last match, having matched their opponents blow-for-blow. However, Elfsborg do what Elfsborg do best in Boras and that’s win games so Halmstad clearly still have a bit of a distance to go. However, Halmstad have the opportunity to impress their fans today and based on what they’ve shown lately, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them beat IFK in this game.
IFK are a massive name in Swedish football but ironically, they only have one massive name in their team – Hysen. When he plays well, IFK play well. However, IFK are a side that take a lot from their confidence – if they don’t have any, they tend to play badly. Heading into this game, IFK haven’t won for two consecutive games now, drawing both games with inferior opposition so heads are dropping just a little. IFK do have some decent players and arising youngsters Soder and Barkoth are a threat but it all ultimately goes through Hysen, who can win a game on his own. IFK’s problem this season has been in defence as they’ve played ten games in all competitions and have conceded in eight of them, ironically keeping clean sheets in two of their harder games, winning 0-2 at Malmo FF and winning 2-0 against Kalmar FF. IFK are always a threat in front of goal with Hysen playing but just as they did at newly-promoted IFK Norrkoping in their last away game – they’re more than capable of capitulating defensively.
Therefore, I think we have a good foundation for backing both sides to score here. Halmstad will look to monopolise possession here and I think they’ll have some joy whilst doing it, too. However, I think Hysen will engineer a goal for IFK but the steadily arising hosts should score too so backing both sides to score at 5/6 appeals to me here.
Team news – IFK Goteborg miss Eriksson.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 5/6.
GAIS Goteborg vs BK Hacken Goteborg – over 2.5 goals at 21/20.
Overs are quite hard to call in the Allsvenskan but if this game doesn’t go over then no game will!
Both sides have mediocre defences but strong attacks. GAIS Goteborg’s trio of Wanderson, Alvaro Santos, and Omotoyossi are capable of ripping most Allsvenskan defences to shred. GAIS even have arising duo Rennie and Celik to call upon so these guys really do have a lot of options in attack! Defensively – they’ve kept three clean sheets in nine Allsvenskan games, which isn’t very impressive because they don’t defend very well. Hacken’s defensive record is even worse with just one clean sheet (against a shitty Gefle side!) in nine Allsvenskan outings. Unsurprisingly, Hacken are another outfit that loves to attack and it’s striker Ranegie who is lighting up the division this season with seven goals in eight games. I figured the sale of Paulinho might have affected Hacken but no, they don’t seem to care! They’ve got a terrific level of experience in midfield and love to attack and score goals. With these two attacks encountering one another, is it any wonder three out of the last four games between these two have gone over 2.5 goals? Two out of Hacken’s four away games have gone over 2.5 goals with their 2-0 defeat at Kalmar FF being one exception (although that should have gone over 2.5 goals too!) and their 1-1 draw at Helsingborg being the other, which is acceptable as Helsingborg are one of the strongest home sides in Sweden. GAIS have gone over 2.5 goals in two out of their four home games with their 0-2 defeat against Elfsborg being one exception (again; this should have gone over 2.5 goals!) and their surprisingly low-scoring 1-0 win against Gefle being the other. For me, this game is going to ooze goals, especially as it’s a Goteborg derby, and the odds of over 2.5 goals are decent enough to take a chance on.
Team news – GAIS Goteborg miss Lundgren and have doubts over Alvaro Santos.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 21/20.
Accumulator fodder:
Armed Forces.
Recommended bets:
Trelleborg and Armed Forces at over evens.
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Copa Libertadores:
Penarol vs Velez Sarsfield (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Chilean Primera Division:
Union La Calera vs Union Espanola (6) under 2.5 goals
Colo Colo vs Universidad Catolica (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Colombian Primera A:
La Equidad Bogota vs Envigado (7) 1-0
Millonarios Bogota vs Once Caldas Manizales (5) 1-1
Irish Premier League:
Bohemians vs UCD (7) 1-0
Bray Wanderers vs Shamrock Rovers (5) 0-1
Dundalk vs Derry City (5) 1-2
Galway United vs Drogheda United (4) 2-1
St.Patrick’s Athletic vs Sligo Rovers (5) 2-2
Dutch Eredivisie:
ADO Den Haag vs Groningen (7) over 2.5 goals
Peruvian Primera Division:
Alianza Atletico vs Sport Huancayo (6) 2-1
Singaporean S-League:
Woodlands Wellington vs Armed Forces (8) 0-2
Etoile vs Albirex Niigata (6) over 2.5 goals
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Halmstad vs IFK Goteborg (5) 2-1
GAIS Goteborg vs BK Hacken Goteborg (6) 2-1, at least one red card in this game
Gefle vs Mjallby Solvesborg (5) 1-0
Djurgarden vs Elfsborg Boras (6) 2-2
Trelleborg vs Syrianska Sodertalje (7) 2-0
Swedish Superettan:
Vasteras vs Brommapojkarna (5)
Atvidaberg vs Ljungskile (6) under 2.5 goals
Enjoy your free betting tips!