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Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk

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Today’s featured game is the Ekstraklasa clash between Ruch Chorzow and Lechia Gdansk. I might have avoided this game had the horrific weather that hit south Poland a few days ago not moved on elsewhere – those were a joke! Did any of you watch Poland vs Slovakia? The game looked just like how I’d imagine a game in Greenland would look – lots of snow falling and virtually zero visibility of the ball. Anyway, with Poland’s disappointing and unfortunate defeat in the past, we now look at Ruch Chorzow’s chances of beating Lechia Gdansk, which I think are pretty high. Ruch Chorzow are now the only remaining side in the Ekstraklasa that has won all of their home games. Even more impressively, however, is the fact that they’ve done it without conceding a goal! I’ve yet to make up my mind whether this form of theirs is tempremental or if they’re actually pushing for a European place next year but regardless of that, Ruch Chorzow have the wind in their sails at the moment and look a force for just about any opponent in the Ekstraklasa. Visitors Lechia Gdansk have made an unprecedented good start to this campaign with limited resources in all areas of the field. However, they’ve suffered two defeats in their last four games and look to be struggling to maintain their good form, which is unfortunately something that has been expected by most people. Aside from encountering what is currently the best home side in the league, Lechia Gdansk enter this game without Captain Karol Piatek, midfielders Maciej Rogalski and Piotr Kasperkiewicz, defenders Jakub Kawa, Siergiejis Kozans, Arkadiusz Mysona, and striker Ivans Lukjanovs. To say that the already-stretched visitors are short on numbers is an understatement and their lack of their Captain could do them a lot of damage on the field. With the only definite absence for Ruch Chorzow being Martin Fabusz, the hosts have yet another advantage over Lechia Gdansk today. To put it bluntly, I’m expecting something of a comfortable home win today so odds of 3/4 are something of a gift. I’d even consider the -1.75 handicap for this game given the news above.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk – home win at 3/4 – see introduction for full details.

Hartberg vs SCR Altach – away win at 3/4. Something funny is going on in Austria today with what looks to me like five away wins in the Liga 1! I’ll eat my hat if they all manage it but I can’t make a case for any of the home sides, I’m afraid! However, this one is one of my favourites because I rate SCR Altach as the best side in the division. After enduring some patchy form, SCR Altach have won three consecutive games and take their excellent momentum into this game with the additional bonus of knowing that they’re the better side out of these two. Three wins, one draw, and one defeat from their five away games this season says that they mean business and the tag of being the highest scoring side in the division is one that they are proud to bear. SCR Altach average over two goals per game and look a force for any side in this division currently. Hosts Hartberg enter the game with good momentum too, having won two consecutive games. Unimpressively, however, they have lost three of their five home games so far this season and are one of the highest conceding sides in the division currently. On paper, they’re not a match for SCR Altach and I think the above points to an away win so 3/4 looks good odds to me.

Salzburg II vs Wacker Innsbruck – away win at evens. Like most II teams that are in the division below their parent team, Salzburg II are struggling. They simply don’t have the quality to consistently challenge any side in the division and will be fortunate to avoid relegation this year, in my opinion. That said, Salzburg II are surprisingly one of the top goalscorers in the division – their downside is that only three sides have conceded more goals than they have. Salzburg II have lost three of their six home games and only won twice. Visitors Wacker Innsbruck aren’t always the most reliable of sides but three away wins from five games says they’ve got enough in the tank to do the job and three consecutive wins says they have the momentum to enforce it. For me, the away win looks good value at evens.

Liege vs Mons – away win at 10/11. Poor starters Liege enter this game with some momentum after claiming their first win of the campaign away to rapidly descending Brussels. Whereas this will have no doubt boosted them, you do have to bear in mind that they are where they are in the Tweede Klasse because they’ve lost six out of eight games i.e. they’re not really good enough to be in this division. Mons haven’t exactly set the division alight since relegation from the Eerste Klasse but they have been difficult to play against as is indicated by the fact that they’ve only lost two of the nine games they’ve played thus far. Mons’ problem so far has been drawing more games than they’re winning, which does concern me a little ahead of this game but not excessively. A win last game will give Mons the boost they need to overcome a much weaker Liege today so the away win at 10/11 looks inviting.

Deportivo Pasto vs Atletico Huila – home win at 5/6. Both of these sides have made very good starts to their respective campaigns. As with most Colombian sides, however, they’re both home sides. Deportivo Pasto are one of the best home sides in the league with five wins and one draw from six home games. They average nearly three goals per game at home and generally look very dangerous against most opponents. Visitors Atletico Huila boast a similar record but are slightly better away from home, hence them being a point ahead of Deportivo Pasto in the league. There’s really not very much between these two sides in terms of quality but the hosts do have the advantage of being at home, which counts for an awful lot in Colombia, as statistics have always indicated. For me, there could be value in the home win at 5/6 today.

Inter Zapresic vs Zadar – home win at 11/10. This is a very dubious call ineded when you consider that Inter Zapresic have now lost five consecutive games. However, all runs must end sometime and I think there’s a decent chance of that today. Zadar have played better than Inter Zapresic so far this season but they have one giant flaw; they’re very poor goalscorers, particularly on the road. In fact, in their four away games this season, they’ve lost three, drawn once and scored just one goal. Make no mistake, these two sides are as bad as each other. Whereas Inter Zapresic’s form of one win, one draw and three defeats at home this season far from inspires such a call, I am comforted by the fact that they’ve won this fixture for three seasons out of the last four, drawing the other.

Ilisiakos Zografou vs Kerkyra – away win at 7/5. Although having never been a convincing away side, Kerkyra’s form so far this season leads me to believe that this particular fact could change, even if only temporarily. Three wins and one draw from their opening four games says that they’re keen to atone for last season’s failure to reach the Super League. Averaging two goals per game currently, Kerkyra look their usual potent selves and will be hard to topple this season. Hosts Ilisiakos Zografou were as much a threat last season as Kerkyra were but how times change in the blink of an eye! The hosts are currently second bottom of the Ethniki B with two points from four games. Their goalscoring is a massive problem with just two goals scored in four games. Against an in-form Kerkyra, this could prove to be extremely harmful to the hosts so I think taking the away win at 7/5 holds some value today, particularly as the visitors have won this exact fixture for three seasons running without even conceding a goal…

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

Argentinian Primera Division:

San Lorenzo de Almagro vs Rosario Central (8) 2-1
Lanus vs Velez Sarsfeld (8) 1-1

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Sydney FC (5) 1-2

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Austria Lustenau (7)
Hartberg vs SCR Altach (7)
Salzburg II vs Wacker Innsbruck (7)
First Vienna vs Gratkorn (6)
Dornbirn vs St.Polten (6)

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Liege vs Mons (7)

Bulgarian A PFG:

Sliven vs Chernomorets Burgas (8) 1-3

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Deportivo Pasto vs Atletico Huila (8) 2-1

Croatian Prva Liga:

Inter Zapresic vs Zadar (5) under 2.5 goals

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Liga de Quito vs Manta (8) 3-1

English League Two:

Cheltenham Town vs Macclesfield Town (6)

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Brest (7)
Angers SCO vs Istres (7)
Arles vs Bastia (6)
Chateauroux vs Nimes (7)
Guingamp vs Dijon FCO (5)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Tours (6) draw no bet
Clermont Foot vs Stade Malherbe de Caen (6)
Le Havre vs Laval (8)
Strasbourg vs Vannes OC (5)

German Bundesliga 2:

Arminia Bielefeld vs Alemannia Aachen (8)
Rot-Weiss Oberhausen vs St.Pauli (6)
Energie Cottbus vs Kaiserslautern (7)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilisiakos Zografou vs Kerkyra (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Vasas Budapest vs Debreceni VSC (8) 1-2
Ferencvaros vs Gyori ETO FC (5) 1-1

Irish Premier League:

Cork City vs Bohemians (6) 1-2
St Patrick’s Athletic vs Bray Wanderers (7) 2-0
Galway United vs Derry City (5) 1-1
Dundalk vs Sligo Rovers (6) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Lecce vs Salernitana (8)

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Go Ahead Eagles vs Cambuur Leeuwarden (6)
AGOVV Appeldoorn vs FC Eindhoven (7)
Veendam vs De Graafschap (6) draw no bet
Excelsior vs Zwolle (5)
Omniworld vs RBC Roosendaal (6)
Top Oss vs Haarlem (6)
Fortuna Sittard vs Dordrecht ’90 (5)
MVV Maastricht vs Helmond Sport (5) draw no bet
Stormvogels Telstar vs FC Den Bosch (5)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

GKS Belchatow vs Slask Wroclaw (6) 0-0
Ruch Chorzow vs Lechia Gdansk (8) 2-0

Romanian Liga:

Unirea Alba Iulia vs International (5) 1-1
Unirea Urziceni vs Vaslui (8) 1-0

Singaporean S-League:

Sengkang Punggol vs Armed Forces (9) over 2.5 goals

Welsh Premier League:

Aberystwyth Town vs Newtown (6) 1-0
Carmarthen Town vs Port Talbot Town (6) 1-1
Prestatyn Town vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (7) 2-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Finland U21 vs Netherlands U21

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Today’s featured game is the UEFA European U21 Championship game between Finland U21 and Netherlands U21. I often feel that Finland U21 are often overlooked by people (and indeed fellow U21 sides) en mass, which is good and bad. It’s bad for the players, who thus aren’t as exposed scout-wise. However, it’s very good from my perspective because it means that opposition tends to underestimate their opponents and also that the bookies follow a similar route. Let us not forget that Finland U21 did manage to achieve a place at the UEFA European U21 Championships in Sweden earlier this year and although they didn’t do well in that tournament result-wise, it still takes a good side to get there. I also have to respect their performances against Austria U21 to get there as I rate Austria U21 to be one of the best U21 sides in Europe. Whereas it’s true that the Finns have lost their last two qualifiers, I consider their defeats away to Poland U21 and Netherlands U21 acceptable as both of these sides are very good. However, the trip to Finland is never an easy one for any side, something I feel is reflected by the fact that they’ve won five out of their last five home games. It’s also going to be a stern test for the Netherlands U21 side to take on a good Finland U21 side on the artificial turf at the Finnair Stadium. We all know that Netherlands U21 always boast a good side, regardless of what year it is – it’s just something they consistently manage to do. However, the bookies are reading into that far more than I’d expect as they’ve given surprising odds of 4/6 on the away win! This will be a difficult trip for the Dutch and I feel those odds really flatter them for this game. Imagine my surprise when I saw that laying the Netherlands U21 side had odds of evens! I think if there was such a thing as a footballing orgasm then this would be it!!! I think the hosts are capable of a win at the very least so laying the visitors at evens has to be my bet of the day here!

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Finland U21 vs Netherlands U21 – lay Netherlands U21 at evens – see introduction for full details.

Estonia U21 vs Switzerland U21 – away win at 10/11. The one thing I do hate about international games of any kind is that I find it very hard to explain why I think an outcome will occur because form/momentum doesn’t really tend to play a part unless the team in question is playing in a tournament at the time. I mean, seriously, what else can I put here other than Estonia U21 are a mediocre side at best and Switzerland U21 have been making good waves lately in U21 football? The visitors are simply becoming more of a force as their results over the past year have indicated. The hosts are no doubt improving but that’s largely due to the fact that you couldn’t get much lower than their previous situation. I don’t think Switzerland U21 are good enough to rip Estonia U21 apart and make this a really good game to watch but I do think they’re good enough to win it. Therefore, I am surprised that the odds are 10/11 so I’d recommend taking them today as the Swiss are rather good value at that price!

Latvia u21 vs Romania U21 - away win at 4/5. Although I’ve been impressed with Latvia U21′s recent performances, I still don’t think that they’re capable of taking on the better U21 sides of Europe and I’d certainly include Romania U21 in that bracket. Latvia U21 have enjoyed some good performances, and indeed some success, in Baltic derbies against Belarus U21 of late, a side I consider to be better than Latvia U21, so I do respect them for that. However, Romania U21 are following in the footsteps of their national first team by defying the odds and by beginning to force their way into the bigger sides in Europe. Romania U21 have a good level of ability and potential, as well as the cohesion to make it count. Although I expect a tight game here, the visitors have too much ability for the hosts to handle in my opinion so taking 4/5 on the away win looks a worthwhile bet.

Estudiantes De La Plata vs Lanus – home win at 3/4. Copa Libertadores holders Estudiantes De La Plata are well on their way to revisiting their prestigious past by making themselves a real force not only in Argentina but on the continent too. Estudiantes De La Plata boast five wins from seven games and look an incredibly tough game for just about anyone at the present time, especially when you consider that their only points dropped this season was a draw with San Lorenzo de Almagro, a side I fully expect to be title challengers this year, and an a defeat at a very impressive Argentinos Juniors. For me, the hosts are looking a big threat yet again and will be difficult to withstand for the most part. They’re averaging over two goals per game at the moment and have won all three of their domestic home games so far in this campaign. Suffice to say that slow starters Lanus will be daunted by this task, particularly as they’ve lost here for two seasons running now without scoring a goal. A second win of the season for the visitors will have given them some momentum but I just don’t believe that they’re going to be able to match a daunting Estudiantes De La Plata in terms of class so a home win looks somewhat imminent to me at 3/4.

Bray Wanderers vs Cork City – away win at 5/6. As we reach the climax of the Irish Premier League, all the clubs are now well aware that now is the time to obtain points – well, if you still have a goal left for the season, that is! Hosts Bray Wanderers may have some forlorn hopes of staying in the division but it looks unlikely to me given their poor form and the distance they are away from safety. Four straight defeats makes Bray Wanderers cannon fodder today and I think Cork City are perfectly placed to take advantage of that fact. The visitors were on a shaky run but a morale-boosting victory against European place rivals Derry City will have done much to aid their ailing campaign and provide some much-needed momentum as we enter the final stage of the season. The visitors have been convincing away from home this season and it’s hard to see that changing as they travel to a weak and out-of-form Bray Wanderers. Both sides need to take three points here so an open game should leave an away win rather clearly upon the table so it’s worth taking at 5/6.

Derry City vs Shamrock Rovers - away win at 11/8. This is a very risky call as Derry City are a capable side on their day and Shamrock Rovers aren’t quite as good as their form is making them out to be. That said, Shamrock Rovers certainly are the in-form side in the Irish Premier League at the present time. In fact, they’re doubly-buoyed after a vital victory over title rivals Bohemians last match gave them the lead in the league table, something I feel is imperative in the final stretch of the season, as does anyone with a brain! The visitors have won eight from fifteen away games, which is really very respectable indeed, particularly as they’ve only lost once along the way. Atypically, I’d be more hesitant about backing this game as Derry City are a decent side but two straight defeats for them (including a demoralising defeat to rivals Cork City) leaves them in limbo and Shamrock Rovers are not a side to host without a full concentration at the present time. For me, there’s value in the away win at 11/8 although draw no bet is a wise approach for this one for obvious reasons.

Helmond Sport vs De Graafschap – home win at 6/4. This is another risky call but I feel the hosts are good enough to make it worthwhile. Visitors De Graafschap are arguably the best side in the Eerste Divisie but this record appears to only reveal itself when they play on their own turf. Away from home, they’ve not managed a sole victory yet, drawing three times and losing once. They’re not big on conceding goals away from home but they are surprisingly amongst the lowest scorers in the league on the road. De Graafschap are a threat for most (if not all) Eerste Divisie sides but simply can’t seem to show it away from home. Unfortunately for them, they’re travelling to a good Helmond Sport side that will do their utmost to challenge them for an Eredivisie place next season. Although Helmond Sport’s home form isn’t as convincing as it should be (five games, two wins, two draws and one defeat), the fact remains that they’ve won three from their last four games and take good momentum into this game. De Graafschap may mirror that momentum but they simply cannot take it away from home with them so I feel the home win at 6/4 between two very good sides could prove to be good value.

Omniworld vs Zwolle - away win at 10/11. It wasn’t long ago that I pointed out that Zwolle are due for a burst of form and now they’ve finally had it. Three straight wins has seen them rise to ninth place on their journey back to the top of the Eerste Divisie, where they generally belong. Atypically, I’d not be too convinced just yet that Zwolle have left their poor games behind them but I was swayed when I saw that they faced Omniworld, a side I consider to be the worst in the Eerste Divisie. Three straight defeats for them sees them lying where they usually do – near the bottom of the table. Generally speaking, there’s a big quality difference between these two sides and I can’t help but feel that Zwolle are perfectly placed to ensure that Omniworld are aware of that today by winning. For me, the away win at 10/11 bears significant value and was a contender for game of the day!

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

UEFA European U21 Championships:

Serbia U21 vs Cyprus U21 (9) -1.75 handicap
Estonia U21 vs Switzerland U21 (8) 0-2
Iceland U21 vs San Marino U21 (9) -1.75 handicap
Latvia u21 vs Romania U21 (7) 0-1
Liechtenstein U21 vs Poland U21 (8) 0-2
Greece U21 vs Portugal U21 (6) 1-1
Ukraine U21 vs Belgium U21 (5) 1-1
Finland U21 vs Netherlands U21 (5) 2-1
Republic of Ireland U21 vs Georgia U21 (7) under 2.5 goals
England U21 vs Republic of Macedonia U21 (8) under 2.5 goals
Malta U21 vs France U21 (9) -1.75 handicap

Argentinian Primera Division:

Chacarita Juniors vs San Lorenzo de Almagro (7) 0-1
Rosario Central vs Gimnasia De La Plata (6) under 2.5 goals
Estudiantes De La Plata vs Lanus (8) over 2.5 goals

Australian A-League:

Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC (6) 1-1
Perth Glory vs Adelaide United (6) 1-0

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Lierse SK vs Beveren (8) over 2.5 goals

English League One:

Hartlepool United vs Brentford (6)
Southend United vs Southampton (6)

Greek B Ethniki:

OFI Crete vs Panserraikos (7)

International Friendly:

Germany U21 vs Slovenia U21 (8) 2-0

Irish Premier League:

Bray Wanderers vs Cork City (8) 1-2
Bohemians vs Drogheda United (8) 2-1
Dundalk vs St Patrick’s Athletic (5) 1-0
Derry City vs Shamrock Rovers (7) 1-2
Sligo Rovers vs Galway United (6) 1-1

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Helmond Sport vs De Graafschap (6) over 2.5 goals
Veendam vs Cambuur Leeuwarden (7)
Dordrecht ’90 vs Emmen (7)
Eindhoven vs Fortuna Sittard (6)
Omniworld vs Zwolle (8)
Volendam vs Top Oss (6)
Go Ahead Eagles vs AGOVV Appeldoorn (7)
Haarlem vs Excelsior (6)
MVV Maastricht vs Stormvogels Telstar (7)
RBC Roosendaal vs Den Bosch (6)

Welsh Premier League:

Bala Town vs Rhyl (9) over 2.5 goals
Newi Cefn Druids vs Caersws (6) 1-1
Neath Athletic vs Llanelli (8) over 2.5 goals

Enjoy your free betting tips!