Europe games disturbing FC Lahti

FC Lahti – FC Honka

FC Lahti reached the next round at Europe League, but with a cost. Their injury list grew significantly, and as they will play another round already next Thursday against a Slovenian side Gorica the coach Ilkka Mäkely will probably also rest as many players as possible because of the priority of the European cup.

Also Honka is in the middle of a lot of games, but they have a big advantage because they had the biggest roster of players to choose from and have rotated a lot. In the cup game away at KooTeePee, they took a comfortable win with only 3 same players in the opening eleven than against TPS.

The trends in the League are going to opposite directions, Lahti is diving, and FC Honka have found their rhytm. ”The players are fit and the TPS match was otherwise a good game, only the goals were missing from us, ” says the always thoughtful Honka coach Mika Lehkosuo, ” against Lahti we will continue with the good defense but strike with fast counter attacks”.

”I do not think that it is a problem for Lahti that they did play a Europe League away. After all they won, and the good feeling helps to heel the sore feet. At least that happened to us last season in the UEFA cup.” , continues Lehkosuo.

The Lahti injury list is long, but the games have to be played first. A lot of the injuries are just minor and most of the the players injured are doubtful, not sure absentees. The player more missed is top striker Rafael 12/2, Jari Litmanen will probably be rested with a pair of more experienced legs.

Honka have only two long- term absentees, Paatelainen & Weckström, but I have got a feeling that Lehkosuo is preparing himself for the sale of the U21-team players and using replacements already, which might mean that Tuomo Turunen for example is not playing here either.


Lahti:0-1-0-0-3-1
Honka :3-3-0-3-3-1

H2H: 2-3-4. Last game Honka – Lahti 19.04.2009 League 2-2 at Finnair stadium, not own!

FC Lahti: 1 Viktor Szentpeteri 9/0 – 12 Toni Huuhka 10/1 – 3 Henri Toivomäki 13/0 - 16 Jussi Heikkinen 2/0 – 6 Kalle Eerola 10/0 - 8 Mohamed Fofana 12/3 - 20 Jonne Kemppinen 10/1 – 11 Drilon Shala 13/5 – 14 Konsta Hietanen 13/0 – 19 Riku Heini 8/0 - 17 Eero Korte 13/2

Bench: 10 Jari Litmanen 8/0, 21 Kaarlo Rantanen 3/0, 22 Juha Tuomi (gk) 4/0, 13 Jussi Länsitalo 5/1,

Unavailable: 7 Jukka Veltheim 2/0 for the rest of the season, 2 Heikki Haara 13/1, 9 Rafael 12/2, 15 Jukka Vanninen 11/0, 4 Janne Moilanen 5/0

Coach : Ilkka Mäkelä


Honka: 1 Tuomas Peltonen 9/0 - 2 Sampo Koskinen 9/0 - 3 Roope Heilala 10/0 - 5 Henri Aalto 8/0 - 6 Hermanni Vuorinen 13/9 - 28 Rasmus Schüller 7/1- 10 Jami Puustinen 12/3 - 11 Hannu Haarala 6/0 - 17 Demba Savage 12/2 - 19 Rami Hakanpää 12/1 – 21 Joel Perovuo 13/2

Bench: 13 Ville Koskimaa 5/0, 26 Jaakko Lepola 8/3, 27 Konsta Rasimus 1/0, 12 Janne Henriksson (gk) 5/0, 14 Jussi Vasara 13/1, 15 Aleksandr Kokko 10/0, 22 Tuomo Turunen 10/1, 20 Nicolas Otaru 11/2

Out: 8 Markus Paatelainen 0/0, 7 John Weckström 6/1

Coach: Mika Lehkosuo

Prediction: This was a hot pick with the injuries and Honka finding form, but now it is too late for huge value. Honka is the favourite, i will look more into detail this tomorrow. Lahti will not be an easy away game ever, so be careful with the stakes for away team.

The limits for Honka at ahc:

Honka 0 @ 1.63
Honka - 0,25 @ 1.92
Honka - 0,5 @ 2.33

For Lahti:

Lahti 0 @ 2.59
Lahti + 0,25 @ 2.09
Lahti + 0,5 @ 1.75

Honka no longer any value, but the bookies still in trouble finding the right price to correct their early pricing errors.

Edit: FT 1-1.