Monday’s League Scout Football Best Bets & Predictions

As a warm-up for a match against a solid team on the up, scoring fourteen goals in a cup tie against the fallen giants was a good stretch – but the MyPa of 2023 is not the SJK who are unbeaten in the league with the youngest squad in the division. The goals were rotated amongst the squad, with Simo Roiha scoring a hat trick to add to the strike against HJK earlier in the month. That 3-3 draw was perhaps more about HJK’s defensive frailty but KTP did push hard and have a pretty good home record for a promoted team so far. They’ve also conceded the joint most (11 in 7) and are coming up against a side with a form penalty box predator.

Nicaraguan striker Jaime Moreno moved to Seinajoki in the winter, impressing in pre-season but still took some time in the Veikkausliiga – he now has four goals in his last three league matches and looks deadly in the box. In the impressive win against AC Oulu in the league, he poached and pounced, now threatening the top of the goalscoring charts. Coach Joaquin Gomez is very proud of his young side, keeping pace with the leaders and now looking more threatening up front. The team rotated heavily in the cup tie against Oulu on Wednesday and lost 1-4, but are now free to concentrate on the table with no other European distractions. The form of Jake Dunwoody in midfield has provided strength and drive, where he looked a little lost last year. This is the best SJK side since the title winners of 2015 and the coach has got them pushing in the right direction.

Oulu’s recent form has been patchy after a decent start – timid defeats to SJK and KuPS and tough wins over Ilves and VPS were followed by a stunning 1-4 win back at SJK in midweek with young midfielder Otto Liimatta pulling all the strings and scoring two himself. The flowing forward line of Liimatta, Ashley Coffey and Rasmus Karjalainen are so dangerous and full of confidence. Coffey has a one-year deal and is clearly on a mission – he led the line tremendously on Wednesday. The defence is shaky, conceding in all games since the opener but these are entertainers and a front-foot team. Fullback Noah Pallas has potential and after making his international debut this year, he’s the best defender they have.

This year was always going to be tough for Honka. Losing their best two forwards over the winter and the replacements not stepping up, while the much-trumpeted signing of Roman Eremenko lasted less than a half before a red card. There are still solid players from the side that finished third last year, particularly Koski and Jansen – but the spark isn’t there. They did put three past Lahti, but not much challenge was provided. They won’t lie down and surrender but there will be goals. Eremenko will still be missing for this fixture. Juan Alegria has failed to score since his return from Rangers, but at least Clesio Bauque did break his duck recently.

If Oulu turn up and fancy it, they could get a few. But they’re not built on solid foundations and could allow Honka a couple of good chances.

AS Roma are another team that were in European action midweek and it could have a major bearing on how their home game against Salernitana pans out.

The Granata are now safe in Serie A and they have shown over the course of the season that they are capable of some really good, confident performances. They will travel to the Stadio Olimpico thinking that they can definitely grab an early goal.

Roma have had a lot of injuries to contend with recently and the team feels disjointed. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Salernitana manage to find a way through at some point in the first half.

What could be the saving grace for Roma in terms of the end result is that their home form has been superb this season and they always seem to find a goal in front of their own fans, but also, Paulo Dybala did not come off of the bench against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.

It remains to be seen whether Jose Mourinho will want to risk his fitness from the start, but he is a goalscoring and creating weapon that the Giallorossi can rely on. There could be some painful patches of the game for Roma where Salernitana score, but they should still get the result at home.

These two have both started the second-tier season very well but they come into this on the back of contrasting recent form, at least in terms of results.

Vasteras finished the 2022 Superettan season with three successive victories as they finished the campaign sitting firmly in the middle of the table. They have continued their good form into the 2023 year with just one defeat in their opening seven matches.

The home team begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting second in the table, two points below newly promoted GAIS at the top of the table. Last weekend, they were held to a goalless draw at home to Landskrona in their most recent outing. They have been very impressive defensively with just three goals scored in their opening seven matches.

Under the management of Stefan Tugedzic, Osters narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight by being beaten by Varberg BoIS in the Allsvenskan/Superettan relegation/promotion playoff place last season. They are expecting to go further this season, though, and challenge for a top-two finish and earn automatic qualification.

The visitors began the season exceptionally well but their form has fallen off recently. Their most recent outing was a 2-1 defeat at home to the newly-promoted but league-leading GAIS, last weekend. They have collected just one point from their last three matches.

Given their respective starts to the 2023 campaign, both of these sides will be expecting to challenge for a top-two finish and automatic promotion this season and they are both doing it in a proactive manner.

Juventus were the latest victims of Sevilla’s incredible ability to win in the Europa League and that means that they will be ending the season without a trophy again, something that seemed impossible just a few years ago.

They are going to travel away to Empoli knowing that with a three-point lead over third-placed Inter, their destiny is very much in their own hands when it comes to playing in the Champions League next season. At least, it is in times of the players qualifying for it, but what happens with their suspended points penalty is another story that is yet to be concluded.

It is no secret that Juventus are not associated with goals this season and having gone through extra time on Thursday away in Seville, the Bianconeri will not be firing on all cylinders when they take on an Empoli side whose season has fizzled into mediocrity.

Whilst Massimiliano Allegri’s side will probably grab all three points in Tuscany on Monday night, expect it to be by a 1-0 or maybe 2-0 scoreline. Empoli aren’t offering a great deal, and Juve likely won’t have it in them to hand out a battering given the tiredness and the general nature of their play this season.