Curtains up in the most exciting Group C!

If you take a look at this year’s UEFA Europa League field, the second most important European cup for club teams certainly has the potential to rival the Champions League. Some of the groups are filled with top-class teams that would also have the calibre to compete in the top flight.

This is also the case in Group C, where Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw are represented. The two clubs will kick off the 51st edition of the Europa League on Wednesday afternoon. In Moscow, the hosts are favoured as expected. A home win for Spartak Moscow vs. Legia Warsaw, meanwhile, offers odds in the 1.80 range.

Both teams failed to qualify for the top flight and now continue their adventure one level below The visitors from Warsaw already had to say goodbye in the third round of the CL qualifiers, while Spartak only bowed out of the competition in the play-off round against Benfica Lisbon

Spartak Moscow now have the chance to make amends in the Europa League. It is a groundbreaking match, especially for Rui Vitória, coach of the Moscow team. After all, the Portuguese has been battling a hail of criticism lately and is – at least according to the latest Russian media – on the sidelines.

Russian Federation Spartak Moscow – Statistics & current form

Internal turmoil caused real chaos at Spartak Moscow in the summer. Not only did successful coach Domenico Tedesco leave the team, but sporting director Dmitri Popov also packed his bags. The latter was mainly due to controversial transfer activities at the Moscow club, which were mainly the fault of the club’s management.

In the meantime, the transfer window has also closed in Russia, so Spartak will at least start the first half of the season with the current squad. However, the question of the coach remains open. Under the leadership of the current manager Rui Vitória, the Moscow team has hardly been convincing.

Spartak have won only three of their nine competitive matches so far in the 2021/22 season, but the “Narodnaya komanda” have at least mastered the dress rehearsal in the Russian Premier League before the group opener in the Europa League. In the Moscow city derby, Spartak beat Khimki 3:1.

Can Spartak turn the corner?

For the first time this season, the Red and Whites are now looking to make it two wins in a row. Although Spartak benefit from home advantage in the Europa League group opener, the supposed advantage for the Muscovites should not be overestimated. They have already suffered two defeats in four home games so far this season.

The only encouraging thing ahead of the upcoming match on the international stage is the record against Polish teams. In six competitive matches against clubs from Poland, there has only been one defeat That defeat came in Spartak’s last meeting with Legia Warsaw.

Now there is a chance for revenge. The current head coach Vitória only has two players unavailable due to injury. Compared to last weekend’s squad, the line-up remains largely unchanged.

Predicted line-up of Spartak Moscow:
Maksimenko – Raaskazov, Dzhikiya, Gigot – Moses, Umyarov, Zobnin, Ayrton – Ponce, Sobolev, Promes

Poland Legia Warsaw – Statistics & current form

For the first time since the 2016/17 season, Legia Warsaw are back in the group stage of a European Cup. Prior to that, the Polish record holders failed to qualify year after year, including the super-GAU in the 2018/19 season where Legia were eliminated by Luxembourg club F91 Dudelange in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

This year, the international adventure for the “Legionisci” started in the qualifiers for the top division. Coach Czeslaw Michniewicz’s team beat the Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in the first round, then Legia also mastered the compulsory task against Flora.

It was only in the third qualifying round that the Polish champions were defeated by Croatian record champions Dinamo Zagreb by an aggregate score of 1:2 after the first and second legs and thus slipped into the play-off round of the Europa League. Surprisingly, they managed to advance to the group stage of the Europa League against Slavia Prague, last year’s quarter-finalists in the competition.

Is Legia’s form crisis worsening?

Since then, however, Michniewicz’s side have suffered two defeats in a row – both away from home, mind you Neither in the away match against Wisla Krakow (0:1) nor at Slask Wroclaw (0:1) could the “Legionisci” score. In both away games, the Polish record champions also remained without a goal.

Against Wednesday’s opponents from Moscow, it is now a question of overcoming the form crisis and improving the poor record against Russian clubs. So far, Legia have only won once against a team from Russia on the international stage. The Polish record holders have lost four out of six competitive matches against Russian clubs.

Czeslaw Michniewicz and his team will start the trip to Moscow with the best possible line-up. Only Bartosz Kapustka, who has been injured for a long time, is still out due to injury. Betting fans who would like to make a prediction on Spartak Moscow vs. Legia Warsaw can pick up attractive odds in the event of success.

Predicted line-up of Legia Warsaw:
Boruc – Wieteska, Jedrzejczyk, Nawrocki – Jranovic, Slisz, Martins, Mladenovic – Lopes, Luquinhas – Emreli

Spartak Moscow – Legia Warsaw Direct comparison / H2H-balance

This is the fifth time the two clubs have met on the international stage. So far, Spartak Moscow leads the direct comparison with a record of 2-1-1. The only defeat came in the last meeting in the 2011/12 Europa League group stage, when Spartak drew the first leg with a goal, but lost the second leg 3-2 in their own stadium.

This means that in three of the four matches between Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw, betting on more than 2.5 goals has paid off. It is quite possible that the three-goal mark will be broken in the upcoming match as well.

Russian Federation Spartak Moscow – Legia Warsaw Poland tip

Under Tedesco, Spartak Moscow finished runners-up in the championship last season, but since then the traditional club from the Russian capital has gone steadily downhill. Internal unrest led to the departure of the coaching staff and sporting director. In addition, there were no big-name reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

The disagreements at the management level were also reflected in the results at the beginning of the season. So far, Spartak have celebrated only three victories in nine competitive matches. One of the three victories came in the dress rehearsal before the group opener in the Europa League. In contrast, the visitors from Warsaw have had a much better start to the season.

Just like Spartak, however, Legia also folded. Recently, the Polish record champions suffered two away defeats in a row, in which head coach Michniewicz’s team even failed to score. In Moscow, we now expect a match of equals and would tend to advise against betting on the 1X2 market.

Instead, it is worth taking a look at alternative betting offers, especially on the goal market. With a stake of six units, we place our bet on Spartak Moscow vs. Legia Warsaw at good odds on “More goals in the 2nd half “