SCANDINAVIA
I was bored in a fjord
and I cursed the heart and soul
of Scandinavia
Let the people burn
and let their children cry and die
in blind asylums..
(Morrissey; 'b-side', 2014)
and I cursed the heart and soul
of Scandinavia
Let the people burn
and let their children cry and die
in blind asylums..
(Morrissey; 'b-side', 2014)
AS MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS FOR THE TWO UEFA TOURNAMENTS (CL & EL) ARE UNDER WAY. THE THIRD QUALIFYING ROUNDS BEGIN NEXT WEEK - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ON WEDNESDAY THE 30th AND EUROPA LEAGUE ON THURSDAY THE 31st OF JULY.
OBVIOUSLY, THE UEFA TOURNAMENTS ARE AFFECTING THE VARIOUS CONTESTING CLUBS IN DIFFERENT WAYS - NOT LEAST IN THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONAL LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS.
TODAY I'M LOOKING AT TWO SCANDINAVIAN MATCHES, BOTH INVOLVING CLUBS WHO, IN DIFFERENT WAYS, ARE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY AFFECTED BY THE UEFA TOURNAMENTS.
FIRST PICK:
FC MIDTJYLLAND @ AAB - AALBORG BK
DANISH CLUB AAB, WINNER OF THE DANISH DOUBLE 2013/14, IS CONTESTING IN THE QUALIFIERS FOR CL ON WEDNESDAY. THEY ARE FACED WITH AN INJURED CAPTAIN WHO USUALLY PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DEFENSIVE PLAYS MIDFIELD AND IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE OFFENSIVE PASSING.
AAB ONLY MADE IT A 0-0 DRAW IN THEIR SEASON PREMIERE LAST WEEK AND AS SUCH, THEY'VE HAD A DISAPPOINTING SEASON START.
THIS AFTERNOON THEY FACE REGIONAL ARCH-RIVALS FROM FCM (FINISHED 3RD OVERALL LAST SEASON, MOSTLY HOLDING THE 1ST PLACE..). THEY BEGAN THEIR SEASON WITH A 3-1 HOME WIN VS THE LEGENDARY DANISH CLUB: BRØNDBY (WHO ALSO HAS A VERY STRONG SQUAD THIS SEASON!).
THERE'S A LOT OF PRESTIGE TO THESE MATCHES AND THEY ARE USUALLY VERY INTENSE, CLOSE IN GOAL DIFFERENCE BUT WITH RELATIVELY MANY GOALS. TODAY, HOWEVER, I'M RELUCTANT TO TAKE THE 'OVER 2½ GOALS' BECAUSE AAB HAVEN'T BEEN SCORING A LOT LATELY AND THEY ARE STILL WITHOUT THEIR CAPTAIN. ON THE OTHER HAND, I EXPECT A VERY DISCIPLINED DEFENSIVE DISPLAY AND THEREFORE NOT A LOT OF GOALS..
AS A SMALL EXPERIMENT, I'M TRYING THE 'UNDER 2½' @ +100
G L .
