Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 29/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
Serbian champions Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) are set to welcome Swiss title winners BSC Young Boys to the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade on Tuesday evening for the second leg of their play-off clash, to decide which of the two teams takes place in the Champions League group stages this season.
The first leg, played last week at the Stade de Suisse in Bern, ended in a 2-2 draw. Young Boys took the lead through Roger Assale, but Red Star fought back with determination and managed not only to equalize through Miloš Degenek, but also to take the lead, courtesy of Mateo Ezequiel Garcia at the start of the second half. The home side’s honor was saved by substitute Guillaume Hoarau from the penalty spot.
Crvena Zvezda
The most successful club in Serbian football, Red Star actually won the European Cup back in 1991, at a time when their team boasted players like Dejan Savićević, Robert Prosinečki, Vladimir Jugović and Siniša Mihajlović. However, those days are long gone and at the moment, merely to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive season would be considered a great success for them. Last time around, they gave a fine account of themselves in an extremely tough group, featuring Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, and eventual competition winners Liverpool.
They currently sit in fourth place with 12 points to their name in the Serbian Jelen Super Liga, though they have two games in hand on all three teams above. In the buildup to the play-off round, they beat Finnish side HJK and Danish FC Copenhagen.
Team News
The Serbs have no fresh injury concerns, so coach Vladan Milojević is expected to field the same 11 men as in Bern as they all played relatively well.
Young Boys
The visitors are on course for defending their title in the Swiss Super League, though there is still a lot to be played. After five rounds, they sit on top of the table with 13 points. As Swiss champions, they entered these qualifications directly into the play-off round.
However, given the result that they carry from the first leg, it’ll be hard work for them not to end their hopes of playing in UEFA’s elite club competition this week. They are the team that needs to score at least one goal, which means they will have to open up and attack as hard as they can. The problem is, they already tried that at home and it left them badly exposed at the other end.
Team News
Unlike Milojevic, Young Boys boss Gerardo Seoane does have a few injury issues. Winger Miralem Sulejmani won’t be ready to play, while defender Mohamed Camara faces a late fitness assessment before a decision on his involvement is made.
Conclusion
These teams have met three times so far, with Red Star winning one and the other two ending up as draws. The home team have a very good chance of getting the job done after a favorable result in Bern, and given the excitement and the passion with which they usually approach games of this magnitude, as well as the fact that the visitors need to come out swinging, goals are certainly expected in this match.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 29/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
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