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Jobs

More have joined, happily, but we still need some places filling, guys! I’m especially keen on Russian-speaking people – any keen to lend a hand? Go here if so!

Incidentally, there is no members post today – the UEFA Europa League leaves me somewhat apprehensive at this stage.

Today’s secondary featured game is the UEFA Europa League game between cash-strapped Varteks Varazdin and Romanian giants Dinamo Bucharest in Croatia. The first leg ended 2-2 so there’s everything still to play for here.

The problem in the first leg was the problem Dinamo Bucharest always have; they don’t know how to defend! It’s been that way for a few years now at least and as good as Dinamo are in front of goal, their shoddy defending and lack of composure tends to lead to them conceding goals. I don’t think anyone could argue that Dinamo outplayed Varteks in the first leg and should have won but their defending undid their good work in attack.

Effectively, I expect more of the same from both sides today. I don’t rate Varteks particularly highly – they have some good kids and they do work hard but they’re not what I would call a force. Nonetheless, they’ve proven already in Europe this season that they’re a threat at home due to their belief and I think they’ll cause Dinamo’s dubious defence problems yet again today.

Dinamo are the better team here – I have no doubts over that. However, there have been many peculiar results between Romanian and Croatian clubs in Europe over the past few years and entering the 1×2 market here is frankly suicidal, in my view. However, Dinamo have to attack here or face an early exit. I think Dinamo would attack either way, to be honest – they have no ability to sit back and defend. Varteks have proven that they can take their chances already in Europe this season and should score at least once here. Therefore, over 2.5 goals at 9/10 interests me today.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 9/10.

Why not bet on this game now at one of the best bookmakers around?

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Thursday’s Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

Hearts vs Paksi SE - away win with +1 Asian Handicap at evens.

Like most UEFA Europa League games, there’s obviously a risk element in betting and this game is no exception. We have Hearts on one hand, funded by a wealthy but crazy Lithuanian businessman, who have a decent amount of experience in Europe. On the other hand, we have little Paksi SE who don’t even have a player playing for them who is not Hungarian. However, the difference between the two sides was minimal in the first leg and Paksi SE have done well to even get to where they are given some of the tough games they’ve played in, especially their trip up to the Arctic Circle to face Tromso, where they won 0-3!

However, there is one big reason I’m going against Hearts today and it’s all to do with boss Romanov. This guy is rarely out of the news for some reason or another and this time it’s because he’s sacked boss Jeffries, which Hearts fans are rumoured to be upset with. I would be if my team had appointed Sergio as new boss too though, to be fair – he’s not a good manager, in my opinion. Romanov isn’t happy at the Hearts protests though – he claims that’s what makes Scottish football “rubbish” and “on a par with football in Albania and Gabon” as he so diplomatically phrased it. One unnamed Hearts player has reportedly asked his agent to find a new club because these antics aren’t uncommon from Romanov. Hearts’ good start to the season already looks to be spiralling downward and I cannot see how this news will improve the players’ morale nor increase the support of their fans.

The big question is whether Paksi SE can take advantage of it or not and I think they can. They’re not a gifted side like Fehervar or a flambuoyant side like Ferencvaros but they’re very efficient, hard-working, and have a good level of understanding. This side is not easy to play against, in a nutshell. They’ve yet to concede a goal on their travels in Europe this season, which is impressive. I mean, you wouldn’t expect them to concede in Andorra against Santa Coloma but you would expect them to concede in Norway on the Alfheim artificial pitch in Tromso and yet they won 0-3 to counter the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Hungary. Paksi SE are an interesting side, to be blunt – I think they can upset Hearts here.

For me, there’s value in giving Paksi SE a +1 Asian Handicap at evens here. If Paksi SE lose then I think it’ll be a narrow margin as Hearts are not a great goalscoring side in general, hence the insurance of them losing by a single goal. If they manage to avoid defeat here then your bet wins and given the somewhat shell-shocked state of Hearts right now, I think the Hungarians are worthy of a small punt here.

Why not bet on this game now at one of the best bookmakers around?

Verdict: Paksi SE to win with a +1 Asian Handicap at 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!

UEFA Europa League:

Varteks Varazdin vs Dinamo Bucharest (4) 2-2
Mlada Boleslav vs AEK Larnaca (6) 2-1
Elfsborg Boras vs Aalesund FK (6) 2-1
Qarabagh vs Club Brugge (6) 1-1
Aktobe Lento vs Alaniya Vladikavkaz (6) 1-0
Stromsgodset vs Atletico Madrid (6) 1-1
Sligo Rovers vs Vorskla Poltava (5) 0-0
Legia Warsaw vs Gaziantepspor (6) 1-0
Brondby vs SV Ried (4) 1-1
BK Hacken Goteborg vs CD Nacional de Madeira (5) 2-1
Gomel vs Bursaspor (6) 1-1
Hajduk Split vs Stoke City (7) 0-0
Helsingborg vs Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv (4) 1-1
Gaz Metan Medias vs Mainz 05 (6) 0-1
Senica vs Salzburg (5) 0-1
Dinamo Tbilisi vs KR Reykjavik (6) 2-1
Spartak Trnava vs Levski Sofia (5) 1-2
Stade Rennais vs Metalurgi Rustavi (8) 2-0
Lokomotiv Sofia vs Slask Wroclaw (4) 0-1
Thun vs Palermo (6) 1-1
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Zeljeznicar (7) 2-0
Westerlo vs Young Boys Bern (4) 1-2
PAOK Salonika vs Valerenga Oslo (6) 1-1
Rabotnicki Skopje vs Anorthosis Famagusta (5) 0-0
Olympiakos Volos vs Differdange 03 (7) 1-0
ADO Den Haag vs Omonia Nicosia (4) 2-1
Vaduz vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5) 0-1
Fulham vs Split (7) 2-0
Jablonec vs AZ Alkmaar (6) 1-1
Red Star Belgrade vs FK Ventspils (6) 2-1
Hearts vs Paksi SE (4) 0-1
St.Patrick’s Athletic vs Karpaty Lviv (6) 1-1
FK Sarajevo vs Sparta Prague (6) 0-1
Austria Vienna vs Olimpija Ljubljana (5) 1-1
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Midtylland (5) 0-0

Copa Sudamericana:

Yaracuyanos vs Liga de Quito (4) 1-0

Brazilian Serie A:

Sao Paulo vs Bahia (5) 2-1
Fluminense vs Internacional (6) 1-1
Atletico Goianiense vs Atletico Paranaense (5) 2-1

Norwegian Eliteserien:

Start Kristiansand vs Molde FK (5) 1-1

Singaporean S-League:

Albirex Niigata vs Tanjong Pagar (7) 2-1

Swedish Allsvenskan:

IFK Goteborg vs AIK Solna (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game

Swedish Superettan:

GIF Sundsvall vs Falkenberg (6)

Enjoy your free betting tips!