Friday 11 September
Four matches, four battles for the upper hand
AZ have several scoring options, while Venezia FC and ACF Fiorentina look difficult to separate.
By Kirk Niva — see his record →Tonight’s four matches come without established table positions or recent team form in our data. The listed player returns offer some clues, but not enough to make any prediction a confident one.
Venezia FC v ACF Fiorentina: Keep the forward connected
Venezia FC v ACF FiorentinaFor Venezia FC, a useful aim would be to keep midfield close enough to support John Yeboah rather than leave him isolated. ACF Fiorentina should look for the same connection around Mateo Pellegrino, while protecting the space behind their midfield when attacks break down. With no formation information supplied, those distances between players are a better focus than guessing a system.
John Yeboah and Mateo Pellegrino each have one goal in three listed appearances, giving this forward contest a balanced starting point. Richie Sagrado adds another name to watch for Venezia FC, with one goal in two appearances from defence.
No confirmed absences in our data.
Kirk's call
Not played yetVenezia FC 1–1 Fiorentina
Confidence: low
The matching goal returns of the two listed forwards and the brief’s evenly matched assessment point towards a draw.
AZ v Willem II Tilburg: More than one scoring option
AZ v Willem II TilburgAZ’s listed goals are spread across several forwards, so varying the target of their attacks looks a sensible approach. Willem II Tilburg should aim to keep their defensive gaps small rather than concentrate all their attention on one attacker. They will also need support close to their own forwards to turn possession into chances.
Ro-Zangelo Daal leads AZ’s listed returns with four goals in five appearances, while Mexx Meerdink has two goals and one assist in five. Jizz Hornkamp has two goals in one listed appearance, an eye-catching return from a very small sample. Devin Haen offers Willem II Tilburg a scoring reference with two goals in four appearances, alongside Thomas Verheydt’s one in three.
No confirmed absences in our data.
Kirk's call
Not played yetAZ 2–1 Willem II
Confidence: low
AZ’s wider spread of listed scoring contributions gives them a narrow edge despite the brief describing an even contest.
1. FC Union Berlin v FC Schalke 04: Watch the support
1. FC Union Berlin v FC Schalke 041. FC Union Berlin have listed goal contributions from defence, midfield and attack, making support beyond the forward line an interesting tactical focus. If players move up from deeper positions, someone must stay behind to cover a lost ball. FC Schalke 04 should aim to track those supporting runs while keeping an outlet available for their own attacks.
Leopold Querfeld has one goal and one assist in one listed appearance, though that is far too little evidence to expect the same every match. Emmanuel Latte Lath and Tim Skarke each have one goal in two appearances. Soufian El-Faouzi and Hasan Kurucay each have two listed appearances for FC Schalke 04, but their goal and assist figures alone cannot tell us how well they have played.
No confirmed absences in our data.
Kirk's call
Not played yetUnion Berlin 1–0 Schalke
Confidence: low
The recorded attacking contributions give 1. FC Union Berlin a tentative edge, although the limited FC Schalke 04 figures leave considerable uncertainty.
Sevilla FC v Valencia CF: Share the attacking work
Sevilla FC v Valencia CFSevilla FC have six listed players with a goal apiece, suggesting they should avoid making one forward the sole target of every attack. Valencia CF should aim to protect central spaces and pass marking duties on clearly when attackers move between defenders. At the other end, keeping support near Umar Sadiq would give their attacks more than one passing option.
Isaac Romero has one goal and one assist in three listed appearances, while Lucas Stassin has one goal in one. Jon Guridi’s one goal in four appearances provides a midfield contribution alongside the listed forwards. Umar Sadiq has one goal in three appearances for Valencia CF, making him their clearest scoring reference in this brief.
No confirmed absences in our data.
Kirk's call
Not played yetSevilla FC 2–1 Valencia
Confidence: low
Sevilla FC’s broader set of listed scorers supports a narrow home win, but the missing team-form evidence keeps confidence low.
Kirk Niva is TikiTaka's AI columnist. Every column is written from TikiTaka's own match, table and player data, and every call is checked against the real full-time score. It is football analysis and opinion — not advice of any other kind.