As the weekend approaches, football action heats up across continents, offering us a delightful mix of high-stakes encounters.
In the South Korean second division, a top-of-the-table clash between Gyeongnam and Gimpo promises an exhilarating showdown. Meanwhile, in the Chinese Super League, Nantong Zhiyun and Cangzhou look to secure crucial points in their bid to avoid relegation. Finally, the Danish Superliga gets underway with a potential goal-fest as Brondby and Odense lock horns. Join us as we delve into these exciting matches and uncover the best bets for your weekend football enjoyment.
Gyeongnam vs Gimpo – Saturday, 11:00am
There is a top of the table clash in the South Korea second division this weekend when Gyeongnam welcomes Gimpo to Changwon Football Center. 21 games into the season and only two points separates the two sides going into Saturday’s clash, and both enter it on the back of a defeat.
Gyeongnam have been flirting with the higher spots in K League 2 for a few years now, with their finishing position over the last three seasons being between third and sixth. They are currently second, sitting five points behind league leaders Gimcheon Sangmu. Only six points covers second to seventh, so there really isn’t a lot between the teams chasing the top spots. Gimpo are only in their second campaign at this level, finishing eighth last season following promotion from K3 League as champions.
The home team had hit a bad patch in recent times as their five-game winning streak is being backed up by a three-match winless run, including two defeats. It was the league leaders that toppled them last time out, so they’ll be eager to resume winning ways to avoid that gap to first place increasing any further. They actually have quite a sketchy home record where they’ve failed to win more than they’ve won (W5, D2, 4), and with them being unbeaten on the road it could be they’re better suited on their travels.
Gimpo are one team that does tend to travel well as only one team has managed to defeat them. They are the sort of team that prefers to sit back and invite pressure, whilst looking to break forward on the counter attack. They too have a poor home record, which is when they’re expected to take the game to opponents, but tactically it doesn’t suit. You’ll find them at their best away from home, especially against a more fancied side like Gyeongnam.
Man-for-man, Gyeongnam are the stronger of the two teams, but tactically this is a match I don’t believe will suit them well. They will take the game to Gimpo, who have proven time and again this season that they can stand up to such challenges and pose a big threat of their own. Gimpo have conceded only 13 goals all season, which is by far the best defensive record in the league.
Gyeongnam are vulnerable right now, and whilst Gimpo are likely to come under big pressure at times in this match, I still fancy them to avoid defeat. I think they are most trustworthy than their opponents right now, so a +0.25 handicap priced at 2.05 with Bet365 on the away team looks the way to go.
Nantong Zhiyun vs Cangzhou – Saturday, 12:35pm
The Chinese Super League is 18 games in and the league table is very much starting to take shape. Neither of Nantong Zhiyun or Cangzhou are going to be threatening the top spots any time soon, and avoiding relegation is likely to be the main aim. That’s certainly the case for Nantong, who are only two points and one place above the drop zone. Cangzhou are nearer towards mid-table, but defeat this weekend could drag them back into the mix.
Only two victories all season is clearly a big reason that Nantong Zhiyun are where they are in the standings. They are roughly where they should be in the table based upon their Expected Goals (xG) output, but they’ve only conceded 24 goals, which certainly isn’t a leaky defence, and they’re ranked sixth-best on the Expected Goals Against (xGA) front. Adding more firepower has been a priority for them, and signing Honduras international Rubilio Castillo has certainly helped them in that regard. Since returning from Gold Cup action for his country, he has netted three goals in as many games, and is responsible for netting approximately 43% of their league goals this season. If they’re to survive, his goals will be key.
Cangzhou have offensive qualities of their own in the form of Jürgen Locadia, once of PSV and Brighton, whilst Oscar Taty Maritu and Deabeas Owusu-Sekyere complete quite an ominous front line for Saturday’s away team. As a threesome, they are responsible for scoring 17 of Cangzhou’s 21 league goals this campaign. If those three click, they could win this match on their own this weekend.
Nantong Zhiyun are actually unbeaten in their last six games heading into this contest, but the fact five of those were draws means we can downgrade it a little. They are however the underdogs heading into this game, and being unbeaten in their last five at home means there could be a bit of value in the home side. They’re clearly not one to be too confident over given they’ve won twice all season, but they are currently enjoying a good cup run, meaning they’re not in disastrous form.
It is tough to back either side in this one, but there are a lot of goalscorers on the pitch and a player prop market has to be jumped for on this occasion. I’ve already mentioned the qualities of Rubilio Castillo, who is firmly back in his stride after a month away on international duty. The 31-year-old just to find the back of the net inside the 90 minutes is a 2.75 chance with Bet365, and I just cannot ignore that. He has three goals in three games, of which two saw him start on the bench. He’ll surely play from the off here given their need for a league victory.
Brondby vs Odense – Sunday, 5pm
The Danish Superliga is back up and running and if the first round of games is anything to go by, then this weekend encounter between Brondby and Odense could be something quite special. Brondby opened up their campaign with a 2-1 away victory at Silkeborg, whilst Odense and Randers played out a 2-2 thriller.
Brondby have always been one of the more entertaining teams to watch in Denmark, and Odense are always a competitive outfit that gives the big teams in this part of the world a run for their money in any given game. Both teams will approach this looking to win purely because it is all they know. It would be a surprise if we don’t see goals in this clash unless we get some inspired goalkeeping or poor finishing.
Being Brondby’s first home match of the season, they’ll be eager to back up their victory last time out. A strong start to the season is key for Brondby, as it can so often cost them a shot at challenging nearer the top of the table. They are 11-time league champions of this division, last doing so in 2020-21. Last season’s finish of fifth was actually their lowest end standing since 2012-13, so they have a point to prove.
Odense conceded in the 95th minute last weekend to draw at home with Randers, and that would have hurt them considering it was a match they should have won. They hammered their opposition on the xG count, but they aren’t normally one for a clean sheet, so it maybe comes as no real surprise. They have only managed four clean sheets since the start of the calendar year, and their rather open style of play often makes for entertaining matches. You only have to look at some of their results towards the end of last season, with results such as 4-2, 3-2 and 2-2 quite a frequent occurrence. Of course, we are only one game into the season and don’t have a lot of recent data to go by, but this just immediately has the feel of a game which contains goals and I’m prepared to give it a go early into the Danish season.
We’ll keep it quite simple here, and the Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals market is one I suspect will be quite popular with this particular clash. You can get 1.91 from Unibet at the time of writing, but I suspect it will be shorter come closer to kick-off.
Weekend Betting Tips
- Gyeongnam v Gimpo – Gimpo +0.25 (2.05 Bet365)
- Nantong Zhiyun v Cangzhou – Rubilio Castillo Anytime Scorer (2.75 Bet365)
- Brondby v Odense – Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals (1.91 Unibet)
The post Weekend Football Tips: Thrilling Battles in South Korea, China, and Denmark appeared first on MrFixitsTips.
