Poland Druga Liga (2nd Division) - 2nd round

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Slask Wroclaw - Pelikan Lowicz

Pick: Slask Wroclaw

Odds: 1.73

On first game of new season Slask Wroclaw lost away to Podbeskidzie 0:3. Very poor way to start new year but when we look into last season stats we shouldn't be suprised. Slask was always playing in bad way away from home. They managed to get only 7 points in 17 games away last year - worst result in league. Also none of any other team scored so few goals away - only 8. So there is definitely no surprise in loosing to Podbeskidzie. But they were still able to get place in the middle of the table. That's because that Slask at home and away is like to completely different teams - one of the best in league and one of the worst. Difference is like between black and white. They get tons of points at home and a lot of goals: 11W-5D-1L, 23:3.Third best result last year in home points and best in goals conceded. Now, with new coach here, everybody is expecting that Wroclaw will be still like fortress for every team but will be playing better on other fields. I believe that they will have hard times to qualify but they should get comfortable position in upper part of league.

Visitors - Pelikan Lowicz - new team in 2nd league, will be one of the worst teams in the league. I think that even in Lowicz nobody is expecting them to stay there after this season. Pelikan advanced from weakest 3rd league after play-offs. They are first time in 2nd league in they history and in fact last season was the second one when they were really fighting for 2nd league. Pelikan lost last week 0:2 at home to other newcomers in the league. It's not a good sign for them and i truly believe they will travel to Wroclaw to get at best one point. So defence and only defence. Pelikan doesn't have team that can really fight, especially at fields like in Wroclaw.

There are also few interesting things to note. Last time that Slask loose at their field was last year - 29 october (they lost to Zaglebie Sosnowiec 0:1, Zaglebie is now in 1st league). For 680 minutes Slask didn't concede a goal at home, there is a chance for Slask keeper to beat club record with 721 minutes without losing single goal. Time to bounce back for Slask, players are really looking forward to that game and are saying that they are going to play their game with their style. And unfortunately for Pelikan, Slask after opening lose 0:3, will have extra motivation to secure safe home win today. Odds are looking really good and are worth of risk.

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Piast Gliwice - Motor Lubin

Pick: Piast Gliwice

Odds: 1.72

Motor Lublin played last week for the first time in 11 years game at 2nd league level. It was goalless draw with other newcomer - MKS Tur Turek. After that games Motor players were really disappointed because they had real chance to win that game and with a bit of luck it would be really possible. But important to note here is that Motor had problems with their attackers due to injuries. The best formation is that game was definitely defence but it's still to soon to say if it will be enough for 2nd league. Motor players are for sure very ambitious but club has very low budget and financial troubles for sure won't help to get any sport success. So there is no chance for Motor to get any new player and they need to count on guys that are not have any bigger experience and only few of them played in their career in 2nd league. Motor likes to play 4-3-3 formation but I'm not sure if they will keep it that way in that league, also squad problems can force coach to change something.

On the other hand we have experience 2nd league team that for few years are trying to get along the best in the league and win promotion. So far without that success. But they are very solid home team, last year result: 9W-3D-5L, 30:17. They didn't change much in their squad so players know each other very well. After loosing last week away to Odra they should bounce back today and get 3 points in their first home game in new season. Piast has full squad, no injuries, no suspensions so coach will have all options available. Piast in last few days were preparing for offensive game, with positional attack and defending against counter-attacks. That is what everybody is expecting from their visitors.

We have here two teams with different goals for current season. Piast will be definitely trying to get very close to promotion place in table and some experts expect them to be black horse this year. On the other hand we have young and ambitious Motor which will try to stay for more than one season in 2nd league. It's worth to risk for me with current odds and put money on home team.

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Two winners today:

Slask Wroclaw - Pelikan Lowicz 1:0
Piast Gliwice - Motor Lubin 3:2 (what a horror in the end... comfortable lead 3:0 and after few plays 3:2 and 10 minutes to play, fortunately for me they were able to keep up).

Will be back with other plays from Poland. GL Guys.

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Arka - Warta Poznan

Pick: Arka (-1.75)

Odds: 1.72

Arka Gdynia will play their first game of new season today (they didn't play last week). Everybody is expecting that they are going to win back promotion to 1st league. Last year they finished at 11 place in 1st league but they were relegated due to fixing games issues and now they have -5 points on start. But their were still able to keep most of the squad and their coach. Even if it is average 1st league team and it's still much above most of other teams in 2nd league. Maybe there won't be such huge difference like with Juventus in Serie B last year but I can't see any other team than Polonia Warszawa that can fight with them for first place. Also team budget is higher than half of 1st league teams, it's waste of time to not even compare it with other 2nd league team.

On the other hand we have Warta Poznan, team that won promotion from 3rd league in play-offs from very tight competition. Warta didn't make any interesting transfers. Let's be honest, few people before last season expect them to qualify, in Poznan there most of football fans still are looking into Lech, nobody is expecting much from Warta. And it's half amateur team. Many players have other jobs and are playing and training in their free time. It's not a team at 2nd league level. Their best players are saying that it's huge different for them to play against team at that level. So it's not a surprise to see that Warta last week only managed to draw with Stal Stalowa Wola, third worst team of last year 2nd league.

I can't see any other result here than winning from home team, but odds are poor so I'm taking handicap which is always more risky. Especially if Warta will play very definitely and will try to keep slow tempo game and avoid loosing many goals. But Arka will start their season today. With players in squad like Karwan, Nicinski or Moskalewicz (with huge experience at European level after playing in best polish teams at some moment or in national team) it's still possible to destroy the wall which players from Warta will surely try to build. Class difference between teams is huge and we should see it on the field today.

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GKS Jastrzebie - Polonia Warszawa

Pick: Polonia Warszawa (-0.5)

Odds: 1.89

Here we go with one more game where team pretending for promotion is going to play with newcomer in the league. Polonia Warszawa is very ambitious team that won only 7 years ago Polish championship. They were for some time average team in 1st league and after relegation they were very close to promotion last year wasting their lead in last few rounds. I believe that this year it won't happen again and we will see them next season in 1st league. They have very good team and with their current squad they should fight as equal team against others from higher class. During transfer window they bought few players with experience from good polish and foreign teams and keep few of them. Radoslaw Gilewicz, played once in Austria with great results, or keeper Radoslaw Majdan, he was playing few years ago in Wisla and in national team, Wedzynski, Sedlacek or last year best scorer - Kosmalski. Polonia started season very good with high win against Wisla Plock, ex first league team, 4:0 at home. Maybe they are not the best away team but still, it's very good squad that are competing for winning in league.

GKS Jastrzebie won their promotion with over 10 points of advantage over second team. It's good result so it is a chance that it will be best team from all newcomers. They started season with winner 3:1 against LKS Lomza, but it was one of the worst team in league last season and they avoid relegation by one point. Fans have some expectations, on first game of new season there were almost 10,000 people which is great result for 2nd league in Poland. Today will be probably similar. I'm expecting them to be average league team which will take their place in the middle of table. They have good team but it's not a squad that can really win promotion.

Today will be interesting game. Both teams coming from high wins but played against team on different level. We should admit that GKS opponents on last round was easier and I've expected them to win that game. But today it will be something different. Jastrzebie will play one of the best teams in the league and I will risk with Polonia win as for me, wit all respect to GKS, it's better team and they should start season very good. This is kind of game were they need to get their points.

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Arka - Warta Poznan 4:0
GKS Jastrzebie - Polonia Warszawa 2:2 (bad luck, Polonia lead two times but lost that lead very quickly, later they should have scored 3rd goal, it happens).

1-1 yesterday making my 2nd league weekend 3-1. I will have one play today later.

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Znicz Pruszkow - Kmita Zabierzow

Pick: Znicz Pruszkow (-0.5)

Odds: 1.79

Ok, so really quick here. In the last round Znicz won easily away game against Pelikan Lowicz. Today they will face next relegation candidate - Kmita Zabierzow. Kmita in fact was relegated last year but due to licence issues of Pogon Szczecin they stayed in 2nd league. Problem is that during summer Kmita lost few quality players as club was building team for lower class competitions. So they had to add some players but they didn't get much time to play with each other. Information for Kmita about staying in 2nd league was kind of surprise and they had serious issues with proper preparation of team for competition. Kmita will play without their 3 key players today and they have only 2 strikes for game with Znicz. It doesn't sound good for them.

Znicz maybe is not team that will fight for best places but for sure they have better chances to stay in league than Kmita. After last week win, today they will play in front of their fans for the first time of club history at that level of competition. It's a huge challenge for them and fans are expecting winner today. Znicz will try to show quality game today and get historical win, it's good chance because opponent it's definitely team that can be beaten. Znicz for sure have players with better motivation and quality. I believe that they will get their chance today and jump into first place in the table.

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Plock - Odra Opole

Pick: Plock (-0.5)

Odds: 1.74

Wisla Plock lost last week 0:4 to Polonia Warszawa. Very poor result, I know, but believe me, they played a lot better than it looks like from score. Sometimes it happen that way. Today it's first home game for Wisla and players are very motivated to bounce back from that heavy defeat. And their top priority is to get back to higher league. They just have to get points in that kind of games. In last years every relegation of Wisla ended quick back to Ekstraklasa after just one season. It looks like that they have to good team for 2nd league but to weak for 1st. Wisla coach announced that there will be few changes in first eleven, it's very good news, few new players will get extra motivation as they would like to show quality game.

Odra is average league team. They didn't play anything big away last season (only 2 wins) and I'm not expecting them to play great today. Last week winner with Piast is a kind of surprise so it's time for them to get back on earth. Even with today full squad I can't see any surprise today. Every time last years when Wisla was in 2nd league they played very good at home. Expect this to happen this year again. Risking with Wisla, it won't be as easy game as Znicz winner but it should and with 1-2 goals difference.

I don't know if anybody care but it's probably last game from me in Polish 2nd league. Althought i believe that Lechia will win away with rookie I'm not so sure that there won't be surprise there. It's better to leave that game.

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Znicz Pruszkow - Kmita Zabierzow 4:0
Plock - Odra Opole 2:0

Great weekend in 2nd league, 5-1. Hope somebody find picks useful.