Will Haifa remain the favourites?
This week, the last six slots for the new group stage in the Champions League will be handed out. Twelve teams are still hoping to get their hands on the financial meat pots in the top division. One ticket will be played out between the champions from Serbia and Israel, namely Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa.
The home side won the first leg 3-2 in Israel last week and are at least in a decent position to reach the Champions League group stage for the third time after 2002 and 2009. For the Israelis, however, qualification would come as a bit of a surprise, even though they have excelled several times in the qualifying rounds so far.
Actually, however, there is almost every year a team that surprisingly enters the top flight. Perhaps the Israelis can follow in the footsteps of the Moldovans from Sheriff Tiraspol. In the still short season, both teams have shown themselves to be very capable of scoring goals, so we reckon that betting on more than 2.5 goals in the match between Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa is not a bad choice.
Red Star Belgrade – Statistics & current form
In the last two seasons, Crvena Zvezda only managed to reach the Europa League on the international stage. This season, they can do better than that, even though the return match at the Marakana on Tuesday will certainly not be an easy task. There is a lot of respect for the Israeli champions, but if things go normally, the Serbs should make it through to the group stage.
Home Strong Serbs
Dejan Stankovic has assembled a team that has grown. Since March, there has only been one defeat in competitive matches, but that was against the Israeli champions. There has been no defeat at home since November 2021. This year, Crvena Zvezda have also got off to an excellent start. The Serbians have won seven of their eight games this season, six of them to nil. With 15 points from five games, the defending champions are already back at the top of the national league table.
Thus, we can imagine playing the odds on a win for the home side between Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa. Last weekend, Dejan Stankovic’s team was allowed to rest in the Serbian league. The 2:3 in Israel was thus the last match. Before that, Crvena Zvezda had already knocked out Armenian champions Pyunik Yerevan in the qualifiers for the top flight.
In terms of personnel, things look almost perfect for the Serbs. Newcomers Vuk Bogdanovic, Srdjan Spiridonovic and Filippe Falco are not yet eligible to play. Apart from that, coach Dejan Stankovic can draw from the full range of players, as the Serbians have no injury-related absences. It is possible that Red Star will play with the same formation as in the first leg.
Predicted line-up of Red Star Belgrade:
Borjan – Rodic, Milunovic, Dragovic, Erakovic – Kanga, Kangwa – Bukari, Katai, Ivanic – Pesic – Coach: Stankovic
Last matches played by Red Star Belgrade:
Champions League Qualification
18/08/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 3 – 2 Red Star Belgrade
1st Division
14/08/2022 – Red Star Belgrade 4 – 0 Vozdovac Belgrade
Champions League Qualification
09/08/2022 – Pjunik Erevan 0 – 2 Red Star Belgrade
04/08/2022 – Red Star Belgrade 5 – 0 Pjunik Erewan
1st Division
30/07/2022 – Red Star Belgrade 6 – 0 FK Radnik Surdulica
Maccabi Haifa – Statistics & current form
The national league in Israel has not yet resumed play. It will not start again there until next week. The only match at home so far was the Israeli Super Cup against Hapoel Beer Sheva, in which Maccabi Haifa were beaten on penalties. In return, they made a number of appearances in the top flight.
Maccabi surprised
As Israeli champions, Barak Bakhar’s side were forced into action in the second qualifying round, where they almost sensationally knocked out Olympiakos Piraeus after a memorable 4-0 away win in Greece. Overall, however, their record in six competitive matches is far from outstanding, with three wins, two defeats and a draw.
Against Apollon Limassol in the third round, a 0:2 defeat in Cyprus was enough after the 4:0 home win. All in all, there are a lot of goals in the matches in which the Israeli champions take to the pitch, so we won’t go too far out on a limb if we venture a prediction of more than 2.5 goals in the match between Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa.
The first leg was also the last match for the Israelis. Therefore, we expect the visitors to play a similar formation as a week ago. However, Barak Bakhar has to lament two absences. Mahmoud Jaber is still out for a long time after a fractured thigh and Raz Meir is still out of action due to a hip injury.
Predicted line-up of Maccabi Haifa:
Cohen – Cornud, Goldberg, Planic, Sundgren – Mohamed, Lavi – David, Chery, Haziza – Pierrot – Coach: Bakhar
Last matches played by Maccabi Haifa:
Champions League Qualifier
18/08/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 3 – 2 Red Star Belgrade
09/08/2022 – Apollon Limassol 2 – 0 Maccabi Haifa
03/08/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 4 – 0 Apollon Limassol
28/07/2022 – Olympiakos Piraeus 0 – 4 Maccabi Haifa
20/07/2022 – Maccabi Haifa 1 – 1 Olympiakos Piraeus
Red Star Belgrade – Maccabi Haifa Direct comparison / H2H record
Last week, Red Star Belgrade’s first leg at Maccabi Haifa was a first for both teams. Never before have the two teams faced each other. In fact, Crvena Zvezda has never played a club from the Israeli league before. Haifa have already played a club from Serbia for the fifth time and have a narrowly negative record with two wins and three defeats.
Until the break in the first leg, it looked as if the Serbs would punch their ticket to the group stage with ease. Frantzdy Pierrot gave the Israelis the lead, but Aleksandar Pesic and Guelor Kanga turned the game around for Crvena Zvezda. In the second period, however, Maccabi Haifa struck back. After another goal from Frantzdy Pierrot and a goal from Tjaronn Chery, the Israeli champions still won 3:2.
Red Star Belgrade – Maccabi Haifa Tip
Red Star Belgrade have made a great start to the season. Their 3-2 defeat in Israel has been a blip so far, if they can turn this encounter around in the Serbian capital on Tuesday. Crvena Zvezda have won seven of their eight games this season and have not lost at home since November 2021.
Therefore, we definitely see the Serbians in the role of favourites in the second leg. However, Maccabi Haifa is a team that should not be taken lightly. After all, the Israelis have already eliminated Olympiakos Piraeus and Apollon Limassol in the qualifiers.
A lot of goals also seem obligatory after the results in recent weeks. However, we have decided on a different bet. We rather expect a win for the Serbs. Slightly higher odds are offered for the Serbian champions to advance and therefore we have decided to play the betting odds on Crvena Zvezda entering the top flight between Red Star Belgrade and Maccabi Haifa.
