Photo: GKSBelchatow.pl
After predicting wins for both Lech Poznań and Miedź Legnica in last week’s preview, Ryan Hubbard was denied a hat-trick thanks to Polonia Warszawa’s draw at home to Śląsk Wrocław (although the Double Chance was suggested). Co-incidentally, it was also the game which cost him a 13-team, 300/1 accumulator! However, he has finally managed to pick himself up to give his top bets of the Ekstraklasa and Pierwsza Liga weekend ahead – and he’s got a few for you to choose from.
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała – GKS Bełchatów (Saturday 20, 12:30 UK)
Relegation battles are usually not the best to bet on. Usually when two sides struggling for any kind of form are pitched together, there is an air of unpredictability surrounding the game. However Podbeskidzie are not a side who currently look like relegation candidates. Without loss in their last four (two wins and two draws), they would surely be safe from relegation already had their autumn round not been so dismal.
GKS started the spring unbeaten too, but their opening five games saw just a single goal – Łukasz Madej’s penalty winner against Śląsk the only goal that Bełchatów fans saw either for or against. But since that win, it has been business as usual for Bełchatów. Defeats to Korona (1-0) and Ruch (3-0) have rooted them firmly to the bottom of the Ekstraklasa.
On top of their poor recent record, Bełchatów have the unenviable task of attempting to stop Podbeskidzie’s Slovakian striker Robert Demjan, who has scored seven in his last seven games. With the Górale just five points from safety, it looks as though they might be able to surprise everyone and pull off a miracle escape.
Podbeskidzie are 1.95 for the win (Unibet), whilst Robert Demjan is at 2.75 to score at anytime (Unibet).
Legia Warszawa – Pogoń Szczecin (Saturday 20, 17:15 UK)
Saturday’s 1st v 14th clash may be a “friendly” encounter between two sets of co-operating fans, but on the pitch it their meeting will be nothing of the like. Legia sit four points ahead of Lech Poznań at the top of the table, unbeaten in six league games. They have also managed to pick up 26 of a possible 33 points at the Pepsi Arena this season – the best home record of any Ekstraklasa side.
Pogoń meanwhile are on a seemingly downward spiral. Now without a win in their last eight games, Edi Andradina is the only player to score since the first day of December – both of his goals coming from the penalty spot. Now just one place above the relegation zone, Dariusz Wdowczyk’s side are in real danger of finding themselves in the bottom two within a few weeks’ time.
Legia should be fully rested following their 2-1 Puchar Polski semi-final win against Ruch Chorzów on Tuesday, and with Vladimir Dvalishvili beginning to hit the net with regular occurrence, it’s difficult to see past a home victory in the capital.
Legia are priced at 1.33 (Bet365) for the win, whilst you can bet on Pogoń not to score at 1.60 (Unibet). You can still get a price of 2.50 (Unibet) for Pogoń to be relegated.
Lech Poznań – Zagłębie Lubin (Sunday 21, 16:00)
Buoyed by the recent extension of top-scorer Bartosz Ślusarski’s contract, Lech Poznań head into Sunday’s clash on the back of a 3-0 away victory at Piast Gliwice – although they will do so without last week’s goalscoring midfielder Aleksander Tonev, who accumulated his fourth yellow card of the season in Silesia.
Whilst last week’s win was impressive, it was never really in doubt. Lech have now picked up 33 points from a possible 36 on the road this season, but it is their home form which has stopped them from claiming the top spot. Their 4-2 victory over Lechia two weeks ago was their first at home since early October – and only their third overall.
But now they face a Zagłębie side who, whilst they showed some promise in Autumn, haven’t quite been on their best form in recent outings. Despite a 2-1 victory at home to Korona in Matchday 22, their three previous games only yielded a single point.
With Lech aiming to keep pace with Legia at the top of the table, breaking their home duck was a hugely important hurdle to overcome, and with it, they will go into Sunday’s game as favourites.
If you fancy Lech to emerge from Lubin with all three points, Bet365 are offering prices of 1.57.
Zawisza Bydgoszcz – Stomil Olsztyn (Friday 19, 18:00 UK)
Although they lost last week away at GKS Katowice, Zawisza Bydgoszcz are yet to be beaten at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium this season. With six wins and five draws in front of their home crowd, the Blue-Blacks have netted an impressive 22 times whilst only conceding six. Their opponents Stomil Olsztyn however, have managed just a single win on the road this term, and sit six points from safety in fifteenth place.
With the front line of Paweł Abbott and Daniel Mąka netting fourteen between them, most defences in the Pierwsza Liga don’t look forward to their clashes with Zawisza. And after their first meeting in September saw Stomil conceding five, the visitors will not fancy their chances too much on Friday evening.
Unibet are offering 1.52 for a Zawisza victory, whilst both they and Bet365 are offering 1.95 for Over 2.5 goals.
Flota Świnoujście – Arka Gdynia (Saturday 20, 15:00 UK)
It all started so well for Flota Świnoujście. The tiny club from Poland’s Baltic coast shocked everyone by winning their first eight games of the season, powering to the top of the Pierwsza Liga table. Whilst their form tailed off towards winter, they still managed to maintain a four point lead going into the three month break.
However Spring has proved to be very difficult for the Islanders. Without a win in their last seven, not only has their four point lead disappeared, but they have now dropped into third position – outside of the promotion spots.
Saturday afternoon sees Flota host an Arka Gdynia side who are struggling for any kind of consistency. Two losses, two wins and two draws from their six Spring games see them lay back in tenth place – with no chance of a return to the Ekstraklasa this season.
They also have one of the league’s top strikers in Brazilian Marcus Vinicius. The 29 year-old former Bełchatów frontman has netted nine times this season, and sits tied for fifth in the League’s scoring charts.
Whilst Arka have provided nothing special this season, Flota’s recent form has been dismal, and it is only their league position which makes them favourites. If you are betting on form, Arka look good value – but only just…
Bet365 are offering 3.80 for an Arka victory in Świnoujście (Unibet are much lower at 3.25), whilst a safer Double Chance will get you 1.80.
Kolejarz Stróże – Dolcan Ząbki (Sunday 21, 16:00 UK)
Very much the form side in the Pierwsza Liga, Dolcan Ząbki have made an almost-miraculous climb up the table in Spring, and now sit in sixth position (they started the round in 12th) – just five points from the top of the table. With five wins from five Spring Round games (plus a 3-0 walkover for their game against bankrupted ŁKS Łódź), they have come from nowhere, with a number of people even projecting that they have what it takes to make it into the Ekstraklasa.
During their impressive rise, they have recorded impressive wins against Cracovia and Olimpia Grudziądz, whilst seeing off lowly Stomil Olsztyn, Bogdanka Łęczna and Warta Poznań – all without conceding a goal!
Dolcan travel to Małopolska to face a Kolejorz Stróże side who, despite having their last two home games postponed, have picked up seven points in four Spring games. Led by the league’s top scorer, 36 year-old Marcin Kowalczyk, they have pulled themselves away from a relegation battle and now sit pretty safely in twelfth position.
However even with their fourteen-goal veteran in their ranks, Kolejarz will struggle to pick up their third successive home victory against the Pierwsza Liga’s “team to watch”. Dolcan now have the top-flight in their sights, and if they want to reach the promised land, these are games that they must win.
Most bookmakers have Kolejarz as the narrow favourite, but Bet365 are offering a very tempting 2.80 for Dolcan Ząbki to get their sixth successive victory. For Kolejarz NOT to score, Unibet offer odds of 3.15, which is worth a flutter if you like taking risks.
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