Thanks to home strength in the top division?

There are many, many millions at stake in international soccer on Tuesday and Wednesday. The last six tickets for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season will be up for grabs, and there is plenty of excitement in all of the games, as there was no preliminary decision in the first legs last week. There were no goals at all in the clash between the champions from Switzerland and their counterparts from Israel. In the second leg, the ball will have to bounce in the net at least once. The bookmakers favor the Swiss side in the match between Young Boys and Maccabi Haifa.

Ex-professional Raphael Wicky’s Young Boys were considered favorites in this knockout duel even before the first game. The goalless draw in the Haifa Hexenkessel was not a desired result, but ensures that CL participation became more likely. After all, Young Boys are a power especially in front of their home crowd and haven’t lost a home match in over a year. Unsurprisingly, therefore, odds of under 2.00 are offered on the Young Boys vs. Maccabi Haifa home win prediction.

In addition to this duel, there are five other exciting qualifying matches. Among others, Galatasaray Istanbul, PSV Eindhoven or Glasgow Rangers are in action.

Young Boys – statistics & current form

After a year without an international group stage, Young Boys at least have the Europa League firmly in the bag. Should the draw this week YB actually be represented only in the second most important competition, the disappointment would be great. According to ex-HSV pro Raphael Wicky, the top flight is not just a dream or a vision, but clearly the goal to be measured against.

Home strength as a big plus

For many years, YB played their home games in the Wankdorf stadium – or as it used to be called in the Stade de Suisse – on artificial turf. In many places, the existing home strength was associated with the unfamiliar surface for many guests. Since the return to natural grass, the team has proven that this does not necessarily have a causal connection. Young Boys are an absolute force in front of home fans and have not lost a home game since August 19, 2022. Back then, the Conference League playoff home match against RSC Anderlecht was narrowly lost 0:1.

Since then, Wicky’s team has played 17 home games (all in the Swiss Super League) and can look back on an almost spotless record. No fewer than 14 games were won and only three times the respective guest was able to take home a point. The existing home strength is a strong argument for the second leg between Young Boys and Maccabi Haifa when betting on the Swiss.

The two previous league home games in 2023/24 were won 2-1 (against Lausanne-Sport) and 5-2 (against Winterthur). Basically, YB is definitely a team that stands for a lot of goals. However, due to the importance of this match, Wicky will again not take any unnecessary risks against the well-rehearsed Israelis and will act a bit more defensively. Thus, as in the first leg, betting on few goals is a good option.

Predicted lineup of Young Boys:
No information at hand.

Maccabi Haifa – statistics & current form

With Messay Dego, Maccabi Haifa has a new head coach on the sideline since this season, but otherwise the 15-time Israeli champions can be described as a very well-coordinated team. The big names are not to be found in the team from the port city, despite no fewer than 14 senior internationals. Some Germany experts might at most be familiar with 21-year-old Erik Shuranov, who moved to Haifa this summer from 1. FC Nürnberg. In the CL qualifiers so far, he has already scored twice in three appearances. For the “Club” he scored only one goal in 16 short appearances in the 2nd Bundesliga last year.

Much weaker away from home

Last year, the Israelis qualified for the group stage in the playoffs against Red Star Belgrade, but were completely without a chance there in the “group of death” with PSG, Juventus and Benfica Lisbon. All three of their away games in the group stage were clear defeats with at least a two-goal difference. In general, there is a clear difference between Maccabi Haifa’s results at home and away.

On the way to its third consecutive championship, Maccabi Haifa won 17 of its 18 home matches and drew only once. In contrast, the Haifa team won only ten away games and lost all six of its matches away from home. The Swiss media were impressed last week by the breathtaking atmosphere in the Sammy Ofer Stadium. The fans whip the Israelis forward and create a veritable witch’s cauldron that leaves many an opponent awestruck.

Away from home, on the other hand, it is often apparent that the quality of the squad is not necessarily superior to that of the competition. Internationally, the stakes are even higher, which significantly reduces the chances of a surprise. Therefore, there is no value in the knockout duel between Young Boys and Maccabi Haifa in the odds on the guests.

Predicted lineup of Maccabi Haifa:
No available information.

Young Boys – Maccabi Haifa Direct comparison / H2H record

The first leg last Wednesday was the first meeting for both teams. However, the match in Haifa will not be long remembered by both fan camps. In humid temperatures, the two teams neutralized each other to a large extent and offensive actions were absolutely scarce. There were no goals to be seen and with the 0:0 in the first leg, everything is open in the second leg on Tuesday evening in the Wankdorf stadium.

Young Boys – Maccabi Haifa Tip

Making it to the top flight is not important for the two clubs, but also for their respective national leagues. Accordingly, both federations have agreed to a postponement of the weekend’s match so that the teams can best prepare for the multi-million dollar second leg. The first leg was an eye-to-eye duel, and in Switzerland the betting on the home side seems promising due to the existing home strength between Young Boys and Maccabi Haifa.

In what will probably be top talent Fabian Rieder’s last YB game (in all likelihood he is moving to Stade Rennes), he wants to lead his youth club to the top flight. It’s not for nothing that Wicky’s eleven hasn’t lost in over a year and is certainly considered the stronger team in terms of soccer. The Israelis are more experienced and well-rehearsed, but without the fanatical fans behind them, they are also a class weaker. Therefore, for our part, six units bet on Young Boys against Maccabi Haifa at odds of 1.83 are used for the prediction on the home victory.

With millions beckoning for the CL contender, both teams are likely to choose risk wisely and once again scoring chances are not expected in abundance. Bets such as another Under 2.5 or “Both teams meet? No” are therefore obvious.