Slovan Bratislava are under pressure
The qualifying phase for the UEFA Champions League is already underway and there are some illustrious names in the field. Swift Hesperange from Luxembourg is one of them. The hosts, however, are certainly capable of a surprise.
They already stood up to Slovan Bratislava in the first leg. The bookmakers’ Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava prediction, however, clearly shows that the Slovaks arrive as favourites, despite the draw in the first leg, which puts the visitors under a bit of pressure.
Purely in terms of individual quality, the visitors have advantages on their side. However, they have to make use of them, which they failed to do in the difficult first leg, for example. Due to the circumstances, our tip before the match Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava is that the guests will not lose and that more than 1.5 goals will be scored.
Hesperange – Statistics & current form
Swift Hesperange from the Luxembourg league might only mean something to the absolute experts in this country. However, coach Carlos Fangueiro’s team certainly has quality, which was evident in the first leg of the 1-1 draw in Slovakia. The team from the town with a population of 15,000 impressed with a lot of passion and a high level of intensity so early in the summer.
Surprisingly, Fangueiro’s team kept up very well, also in terms of football. Individually, Hesperange is clearly inferior to Slovan Bratislava. No wonder, because the best-known names in the squad are Simao Martins, Luca Ferrara or Rachid Alioui. And even these names will mean something to only a few experts.
Nevertheless, the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, and Hesperange have not lost a single game in their last seven matches this season. So there is no denying a certain basic structure and a certain self-confidence. Nevertheless, it will be particularly difficult in this knockout game, albeit in front of a home crowd.
Hesperange: Taking the momentum with them
It will be important for Hesperange to carry the momentum from the first leg. Actually, the team is currently in the middle of preparation, the mixture of loading and unloading must be found. This is not always easy, but the team has a large squad that is not significantly lacking in quality. It was interesting to note that in the first leg, a flexible system with a three-man backline was used, whereas last season, the team primarily fielded four defensive players.
However, the system question will not be the all-decisive factor. It is more important that the Luxembourgers manage to go to the limit again and maybe beyond. Only then does something seem possible. The Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava odds, however, show only a minimal chance of advancing.
In the Luxembourg league, they scored 100 goals in 30 games in the previous season, although the quality there is likely to be different. Due to the omens, our prediction before the match Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava is that the guests will not lose and that more than 1.5 goals will be scored.
Predicted line-up of Hesperange:
No information available.
Slovan Bratislava – Statistics & current form
Slovan Bratislava certainly have the better and more illustrious name in this duel. Nevertheless, the Slovaks have to improve their performance, just because of the name they will not advance to the next round. The first leg ended 1-1, was a disappointment, and midfielder Kucka was sent off. This must have been anything but to the liking of legendary coach Vladimir Weiss.
However, he has several players in his squad who have a lot of quality and should be able to turn things around. Ex-Bundesliga professional Wimmer, for example, plays in defence, Weiss and Zmrhal bring a certain class to midfield and striker Cavric has also scored many a goal. Slovan are certainly not a team of nameless players.
But that also means that the pressure is on the favourites. Playing away at an unpleasant opponent after a weak first leg and in the middle of preparation is never particularly easy. So the mental level will also be important. However, Slovan Bratislava have only won two out of five games this season, even if the break means that no final trend can be deduced from that.
Offensive efficiency crucial for Slovaks
Last season, Slovan Bratislava often showed themselves at a good level, playing very decent attacking football but allowing too much especially in defence. 23 goals conceded in 22 regular league games are simply too many for their standards. This also seems to be a reason why the Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava betting odds certainly suggest that both teams could score.
A lot will depend on how efficient the visitors will be. There will undoubtedly be chances to score, but how they are converted will be crucial. There were also opportunities to score more than one goal in the first leg. Due to the individual differences, our tip before the game Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava is that the visitors will win the game.
Predicted line-up of Slovan Bratislava:
No information available.
Swift Hesperange – Slovan Bratislava Direct comparison / H2H record
The first leg was the first direct encounter between the two teams. Accordingly, there is no data available on the direct comparison other than the 1-1 draw in Slovakia.
Hesperange – Slovan Bratislava Tip
Hesperange will be looking to cause big problems for Slovan Bratislava for the second time in a short space of time. But the individual differences could pose some problems for the Luxembourgers themselves.
The role of the favourites therefore lies with the Slovaks and it can be assumed that they will use this to their advantage. Due to the omens before the match Hesperange vs. Slovan Bratislava, our tip is that the guests do not lose and at the same time over 1.5 goals fall.
