TPS - Inter preview

TPS (2nd) - FC Inter (5th)


TPS: 3-1-3-1-1-3 -----Inter: 0-1-1-0-3-3

H2H: 6-5-8

Last game 14.05.2009 Inter - TPS 2-0

The biggest derby of the country awaits! Both teams are in good form, they share the same stadion, a big crowd is expected and the stakes are high. With a win TPS have a chance to declare the top spot for themselves as they are only 1 point behind HJK in the table. Inter have had the edge in this derby lately and basically made fun of TPS, but as the performances on the pitch have shown a new TPS this season they are the favourites in this big match on Sunday at Veritas.

Last time against Tampere United TPS needed full 93 minutes to finally score and win 1-0, but there were chances for ten more goals in the game and especially the TPS midfield was very creative, only to see their strikers waste all the chances time after time. All of this was naturally helped by the early red card of TamU, but nevertheless, with these preformances TPS have shown that they belong to the top. Another evidence of that is the unbeaten run of 11 games for TPS.

Inter Turku have regained self-confidence and match-fitness and took an easy home win 4-0 on RoPS´s expense. All the pieces seem to be finally together again and the reigning champions are ready to defend their title after a long and bad spell during the season.

”We have to be careful not to get too excited”, reminds TPS defender Iiro Aalto, ” this is the biggest game of the season for both teams, we know each other´s very well and even there is no real hatred between the teams, but huge rivalry anyway. After all, this is only one game of many where there are 3 points available, but it feels very important”.

Both teams have best available squads to choose from and will probaly start the game with unchanged line-ups from last week.

TPS: 12 Jukka Lehtovaara 16/0 – 2 Iiro Aalto 16/0 – 18 Chris Cleaver 13/0 - 6 Jaakko Nyberg 16/2 - 7 Sami Rähmönen 17/0 – 8 Jarno Heinikangas 17/0 – 9 Mikko Manninen 16/0 – 10 Riku Riski 16/4 – 28 Mikko Paatelainen 17/3 – 20 Babatunde Wusu 16/6 - 21 Wayne Brown 17/4

Bench: 3 Kalle Mäkinen 0/0, 11 Mika Ääritalo 7/2, 17 Roope Riski 0/0, 1, 29 Yll Hoxha 6/0, 23 Juho Lähde 0/0, 24 Jani Aaltonen 0/0, 25 Santeri Mäkinen 0/0, 27 Tuomas Markkula 0/0, 31 Alban Ferati 0/0, 14 Kasper Hämäläinen 16/0, 1 Jani Tuomala (gk) 1/0, Igor Jovanovic (in from Kleve)

Out:13 Samu-Petteri Mäkelä 8/0 (return to PoPa), 5 Simo Valakari 7/0, 9 Patrik Lomski 6/0 (loan to KPV), 22 Jesse Saarinen 0/0 (loan to KPV)


Coach: Pasi Rautiainen





Inter Turku: 1 Patrick Bantamoi (gk)15/0 – 6 Jermu Gustafsson 3/0 – 7 Ari Nyman 17/0 – 9 Guillano Grot 13/3 – 11 Timo Furuholm 15/7 – 14 Joni Aho 14/0 – 18 Ats Purje 13/3 – 15 Severi Paajanen 17/0 - 17 Mika Ojala 15/2 - 5 Alberto Ramirez 15/1 - 29 Henri Lehtonen 16/0

Bench: 8 Touko Tumanto 8/0, 20 Arttu Seppälä 1/0, 21 Pablo Gomez-Marttila 0/0, 27 Kennedy 15/1, 25 Ville Mäkilä 0/0, 26 Felix Åkerlund 0/0, 13 Eemeli Reponen (gk) 2/0 , 12 David Monsalve (gk) 1/0, 19 Aristides Pertot 9/0, 22 Sami Sanevuori 11/0, 24 Joni Kauko 13/2, 3 Claudio Verino 13/1, 23 Ville Nikkari 9/0

Unavailable:

Coach: Job Dragtsma

Prediction: There is value in any team in games like these who gets the + handicap. Inter.