The Championship season opener between Huddersfield Terriers and Burnley Clarets is really interesting.
Vincent Kompany (left) took charge of Burnley. PDO
The most interesting game of the day
The English Championship is already back in action, when Huddersfield, who suffered a bitter defeat in the promotion final in the spring, hosts Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League.
Huddersfield played very well last season and rose all the way to the relegation battle thanks to their tight defensive play. Expectations for this season were high among fans, but the rug was ripped from under their feet in July when the head coach Carlos Corberan announced completely unexpectedly that he was leaving the club.
The big boots are being filled by the former Terriers player Danny Schofieldwho of course already has experience in coaching, but a match of this size is the first for the 42-year-old.
In terms of composition, there has been some movement in both directions, but Huddersfield already made their most significant contracts a year ago in the summer, so the team as a whole is fairly well put together. However, the important thing is that a few key players left the team, and it is not easy to replace them.
Last season’s kind of overperformance was largely due to Corberan’s ability – on paper, however, he got a lot more out of a rather light team than expected. Schofield’s abilities are a big mystery and throw a pretty big question mark over the Terriers’ season. When the material, coaching and last season’s performances are put into the balance, it seems right now that Huddersfield is a lower middle class team.
Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League is a more dramatic matter than many realize, as the relegation caused additional challenges to the financial situation of the background company. A great figure for the Clarets Sean Dyche had to step down from the Manager’s position and now has taken over the coaching responsibility Vincent Kompany. It would seem that under Kompany there will be quite clear changes in Burnley’s way of playing and the Clarets will be more entertaining and active.
Last season, the team’s biggest challenges were specifically scoring goals and breaking through. Kompany, who got his start as a coach in Anderlecht, wants his teams to play straightforward football. The midfield combination game will surprise several opponents from the beginning of the season.
After being relegated, it is not surprising that there has been some turnover in the Clarets’ line-up. The players who have been trusted for many years in the defense have been let go, but on the positive side, Kompany has been able to bring players to the team that better suit his style of play. Playing together can still be sought at the beginning of the season, both with and without the ball, but you shouldn’t be too afraid of turnover. Burnley has got quality players in the ring.
An upward fitness curve can be expected from the Clarets, which may well lead to an increase. There are seams in the group of six.
At the beginning of the season, making assessments is challenging, but fascinating at the same time. The first signs from Burnley on the tactical side are so briskly different from what we have been used to in recent seasons that the historical data regarding the team’s goal expectations can be thrown into the scrap heap. Huddersfield, on the other hand, is of course still a team leading the defense, but still plays with an average of about two and a half goals per game.
The level difference between the teams should be clearly more than two classes at the end of the season. At the beginning of the season, Burnley’s playing power has to be turned down a little bit in front of Kompany and “the new one”.
In the opening match, small odds are available both in the number of goals bets and in the 1X2 side. Let’s go through them in more detail below.
I have estimated the expected goal for the game slightly above 2.60. The most likely outcomes are 1–1, 0–1 and 1–2. The match starts at 22:00.
The best betting tip of the day
The championship game has a few attractions that offer small advantages.
The balance of power between the teams is clearer for this season than what can be concluded from last season’s rankings. Burnley is so much more quality that it should be the favorite in this game despite the away field. I have estimated the Clarets to win at 42%.
Thus, Veikkaus’ coefficient of 2.48 for away wins is an object that offers a nice little advantage.
A more relevant option is, of course, a draw-no-bet, where the guests are given a 1.75 multiplier, but here the expected value is clearly lower. My estimate for the event is 58 faces, so the limit coefficient is 1.72.
The best idea can be found in goal number bets. As stated above, Burnley is not really the same old defense leading and even “boring” Clarets. With the arrival of Kompany, the change in ideology is really big.
Veikkaus gives over 2.25 goals a coefficient of 1.82, and my moderate estimate for the event is 57 percent (limit coefficient 1.75).
With Over, we are really close to the official game recommendation. The expected value doesn’t quite deliver, but I also consider it possible that my assessment for the opening game is cautious, even low, in terms of expected goals. With a small bet, more than 2.25 goals should be considered for the games.
Games of the day: Not cricket.
Every day Iltalehti chooses the most interesting game of the day and the best game destination of the day. You can always find them in the Betting and Ravit section.