Match Preview:- Welwalo Adigrat University Vs St George

Ethiopian Premier League 8th week matches will be played at Addis Ababa and regional city stadiums. St George delegates left for Adigrat yesterday. St George Vs Welwalo Adigrat University will take place at Adigrat stadium with a kick off 3:00 pm.

Welwalo Adigrat University from Higher League to Premier League!

Welwalo Adigrat University in 2016/17 was participating in the North part in Ethiopian Higher League. In the end of the last season, Welalo Adigrat University joined the Premier League winning the zone. The club, although losing to Jimma 1Kenema at Diredawa, they joined the Premier League finishing 2nd at last. We remember it was Aklecias Girma who scored a penalty at the 22nd minute when Jimma Kenema won the League tittle.

Welwalo Adigrat University was strengthening the team after joining the premier league by making 10 signings. Mulualem Tilahun, Robel Girma, Bereket Tesema, Biniam Ayele, Eyub WeldeMariam, Wegderes Taye, Biruk Ayele, Enyew Kassahun, Tesfaye Dibaba, Walelegn Gebre and Zewdu Mesfin are the new players who joined the team within the country.

Besides the above signinings, Welwalo Adigrat University brought in 3 foreign players; former St George player Prince Soverniho from Burkinafaso, Fredrick Boating and Abdulrahman Fuseyni from Ghana.

What this season’s numbers indicate about these two teams!

St George in the current Premier League had 5 matches to win 3 games and to draw 2. Welwalo Adigrat University on the other hand, won 2, drew 4 and lost one out of the 7 matches it had. Based on this, St George is 2nd on the Premier League table collecting 11 points and Welwalo Adigrat University is 3rd with 10 points.

Welwalo Adigrat University had 4 premier league matches at home. Of these matches, it won 1, lost 1 and drew 2. The match it was able to win in front of it was against Ethiopia Coffee and it was 1-0. The match it lost at home was also 1-0 and was against Mekelakeya. The draws were against Sidama Bunna with 0-0 and Fasil Kenema with 2-2. Welwalo Asigrat University in general scored 3 goals and conceded 3 in the 4 matches.

St George opponent, Welwola Adigrat University had 3 away premier league matches. The had one of the 3 away matches. They drew 2 matches and did not lose any. The match it wan was at Addis Ababa stadium against Ethio Electric. Final result of the match was 3-1. The matches they drew were against Mekelle Kenema at Mekelle city with 0-0 result and against Arbaminch Kenema at Arbaminch city with 1-1. Welwalo Adigrat University in all the 3 matches it had away, scored 4 goals and conceded 2.

St George scored 8 goals and conceded 2 in the 5 matches while Welwalo Adigrat University scored 7 goals and conceded 5 in the 7 matches. St George reached to this game scoring 1.6 goals per game and Welwalo Adigrat University 1.00 goals per game. And St George was conceding 0.4 goals per game and Welwalo Adigrat University 0.71.

Welwalo Adigrat University game plan!

Welwalo Adigrat university in the current season, especially in recent matches is constantly playing the same starting 11. Except may be using the goalkeeper Zewedu Mesfin in place of Bereket Amare who was playing for the national team inCECAFA, the team has been the same. Welwalo Adigrat University being coached by Birhane GebreEgziabher, plays usually with 4-3-3 at home and 4-4-1 in away matches.

These are the players Welwalo Adigrat University uses in 4-3-3:-

Goal keeper:- Bereket Amare

Defenders:- Enyew Kassahun, Bereket Tessema, Tesfaye Dibaba, Robel Girma

Midfielders:- Afework Hailu, Asari Almehadi, Walelegn Gebre

Strikers:- Peince Severniho, Mulualem Tilahun, Kedir Saleh

Welwalo Adigrat University plays attacking football. This is shown by the majority of the time the forwards spend on an opponent’s field. These 3 strikers place themselves in an opponent’s penalty box when their team is in possession of the ball. Coach Birhane GebrEgziabher uses mainly the right and left forwards to attack. Especially, the ex-St George player, Prince Severniho is serving Welwalo Adigrat University greatly. The team uses the left foot Prince Severniho on the right and the right foot Kedir Saleh on the left.

The team has players who got used to the dry and dusty field. They easily reach the field 3/4th building the ball and with short passes. The right and left forwards play narrowing the field. The way they push the ball to the front and directly shoot the ball is remarkable. We noticed, these right and left forwards are mostly in thr penalty box.

Welwalo Adigrat University’s attacking midfielders are good with the ball. They make themselves ready for sort passes. The right and left forwards’ readiness to receive the ball between the lines from attacking midfields is remarkable. Majority of their goal opportunities come from passes to right and left forwards or centre forward between lines from attacking midfielders. Especially passes the attacking midfielders make to the forwards between the defenders and the goalkeeper have been vital so far.

It is clearly visible that Welwalo Adigrat University is exposed for counterattacks. Especially if an opponent’ transition from defence to attack is fast and identifies gaps instantly, Welealo Adigrat University falls under presseure. The team places its defenders near the half line until they score and their transition from attacking to defence is weak. We have seen them conceding goals because of this.

Players with injuries in the Horsemen House!

Salhadin Seid, Natnael Zeleke, Tadele Mengesha and Ame Mohammed won’t be part of this game due to injurirs. And the goalkeeper Lealem Birhanu is another player who did not go with the team.

We will win!
We have full faith in Sanjaw!