Thursday, March 27, 2014

Tough ask ...........

La Liga: Almeria-Valencia

This is a tough ask for Almeria, Real Sociedad on Monday and Valencia on Thursday, the players have not trained much, it has mainly been about recovery and tactics for today. However, they players have claimed not to be tired at all and that are are buoyed by the fantastic win over Real, a result which has given them a realistic chance of survival, especially if they can follow up with a point or more this evening. They also get right winger Jonathan Zongo ( 11-1-2) signed in the transfer window, back from injury after missing out on Monday and likewise top scorer Rodri (18-7-1) from suspension, so the option to freshen up a winning team with two regular and key starters.
Valencia have had an extra day's recovery time, but their match was not much less intense, being a derby game with Villarreal , which they won 2-1, there is not much for them to play for in the league now and the Europa League will surely be their focus and the draw has been kind, with a very win-able quarter final first leg with Basel next midweek. I doubt if this comes down to a scrap and it surely will, that they can match the battling qualities of the home side, for whom this means so much more.

For the visitors, centre back Víctor Ruiz who has only just returned to the first team, left the weekend game at half time with a knock and misses out tonight, along with goalkeeper Diego Alves ( in the 12 matches he has missed all competitions this season, Valencia have conceded 18 goals.... just 27 in the 31 he has played, a difference of 0.63 per game), left wingers Pablo Piatti (19-5-3 all comps) and Fede Cartabia (29-3-2) are both sidelined, one or other has started in every game and severely weakens them on that flank.
Before anyone writes to tell me, odds have drifted from 2.20 to 2.33 in the last hour, you can view that many ways, some people like to follow the money, I prefer to stick with my own views and at the higher quote have pushed up my stakes, which is a winning long term policy for me.

Almeria +0.25 ball 2.33 asian line/Ibramarket.
Valencia :Guaita, Antoni Sivera,Barragán, Joao, Vezo, Senderos, Mathieu, Bernat, Oriol, Javi Fuego, Dani Parejo, Keita, Feghouli, Míchel, Fede, Jonas, Vargas, Vinícius, Alcácer.


Good Luck.

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