Does YB have to admit defeat in the Serbian cauldron?
Red Star Belgrade is a perennial contender in the European Champions Cup, which the Serbs even won once in 1991. In the Champions League, however, Crvena Zvezda are only about to play their 14th competitive match. Ten of the 13 games so far have been lost. Nevertheless, the odds on a home win for the Serbs against Young Boys in Red Star Belgrade are basically good.
After all, Crvena Zvezda have never lost to the Bernese before (one win, three draws) in four European competitive matches so far, all of which date back to Champions League qualifying rounds. In addition, Red Star Belgrade vs Young Boys predictions must take into account the home strength of the Serbians, who have lost only one of their last 48 home games at the Stadion Rajko Mitić across competitions (41 wins, six draws).
While both Manchester City and RB Leipzig suffered 3-1 defeats on the first matchday in Group G, the Serbians were not the only team to convince. But not only did the Serbs convince with minimalist results football, which even resulted in a 1-0 break lead at the Sky Blues with only three shots fired, but they now have their frenetic home fans behind them again on matchday two, who will prepare a witches’ cauldron par excellence for the Swiss.
The Bernese, who are winless in six Champions League away games so far (one draw, five defeats), should not be able to win much. Accordingly, we recommend betting on a home win for Red Star Belgrade.
Red Star Belgrade – Statistics & current form
Red Star Belgrade football club was already the figurehead of Yugoslavia. Since the club known in the national language as Crvena Zvezda started competing in the Serbian league, little has changed in their supremacy.
The Crveno-beli (the Red and Whites) have won a total of 34 national championships and 27 national cups. In addition, there was the great coup in 1991, when they won the European Cup of Nations championship.
Ten of the previous 13 Champions League group matches lost
Despite this, the Zvezda (in German: der Stern) are currently competing in the top flight for only the third time since Europe’s most important competition for club teams was given the illustrious name Champions League. So far, they have always finished in the preliminary round.
In total, the Crveno-beli have already lost ten of their 13 matches in the preliminary round of the Champions League. With Maccabi Tel Aviv, Malmö and Rapid Wien, only three teams have played fewer games (twelve each) before the first ten defeats were recorded.
Only lost one of last 48 home games
Contrary to Zvezda’s poor record in the Champions League, however, the odds on Red Star Belgrade against Young Boys swing in the direction of the Serbian champions, who have a remarkable home record to put on the line.
Crvena Zvezda have lost only one of their last 48 home games in the competition (41 wins, six draws) – a 1-0 defeat to AS Monaco in last year’s Europa League. The new season has seen another five straight wins on domestic soil at 15-1 scoreline at the Stadion Rajko Mitić, where the Bernese have also failed to win in two attempts so far.
Predicted line-up of Red Star Belgrade:
Red Star Belgrade (Expected line-up) 4-2-3-1
Young Boys – Statistics & current form
Bernese Sport Club Young Boys recently advanced to become Switzerland’s new serial champions, but this season was only the third time after 2018/19 and 2021/22 that they were able to fight their way through the qualifying rounds and punch their ticket to the Champions League group stage.
Here, the Bundesstadter were beaten 3-1 by Bundesliga side RB Leipzig at their home stadium Wankdorf on matchday one. In the 13th group match in the club’s history, YB were thus unable to keep a clean sheet.
Still winless in six away matches in the CL preliminary round
The fact that the trip has never gone beyond the Champions League group stage before is also due to the fact that almost nothing has been won away from home for the Aarestadt side. The Bernese have not yet won any of their six guest games in the Champions League preliminary round (one draw, five defeats).
The odds are correspondingly stacked against Red Star Belgrade against Young Boys, with the Yellow and Blacks now hoping to turn things around at home to Serbia, of all teams, and keep up with the two group leaders Manchester and Leipzig with an important three-pointer.
Currently only second in the Super League
After all, there have already been setbacks for YB at national level in the still young season. Although the Bernese won the dress rehearsal on Saturday with 1:0 at record champions Grasshoppers Zurich. Before that, however, there was also a 1-2 away defeat at FC St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League.
All in all, BSC’s score of 17 out of a possible 21 points is currently only enough for second place in the Super League table. Accordingly, the important home match against FC Basel, which is scheduled for Sunday, is already casting its shadow a little farther ahead.
Predicted line-up of Young Boys:
BSC Young Boys (Expected line-up) 4-3-1-2
Red Star Belgrade – Young Boys Direct comparison / H2H-score
Head to head: 1 – 3 – 0
A total of four international matches have taken place between the two clubs so far and never before have the Serbs lost to the Swiss. All four of those duels were in the Champions League qualifiers. In 2004/05, Red Star Belgrade came from 2-2 down to win emphatically 3-0 at home in Switzerland. In 2019/20, meanwhile, the Serbs benefited from the now-abolished away goals rule after two draws.
Red Star Belgrade – Young Boys Tip
Grundätzlich geht bei Roter Stern Belgrad gegen Young Boys unsere Prognose zum Heimieg der Serben, die zwar zehn ihrer 13 Spiele in der Champions-League-Gruppenphase verloren haben, jedoch insgesamt eine sehr furchflößende Heimbilanz mitbringen. Not only do the visitors from Switzerland face a heated atmosphere at the Stadion Rajko Mitić, but it is here that Crvena Zvezda have won 41 of their last 48 games across the competition (six draws, one defeat).
The fact that YB have always conceded at least one goal in 13 matches in the preliminary round of the Champions League so far, have gone winless against the Serbs in four comparisons (three draws, one defeat) and have not won any of their six Champions League away matches so far (one draw, five defeats) also speaks against the Swiss.
