Basel vs Crusaders
21 July 1800hrs
Football – Europe – Europa Conference League
Pick Basel to win both halves
Bookmaker Boylesports
Odds: 4/5 odds taken 2000 GMT, Wednesday 20 July
Basel are big favourites to progress in this tie but Crusaders had a memorable win in the last round and will be hoping to pull off an even bigger victory in this encounter.
Table of Contents
Basel Preview – Can Basel live up to their tag as favourites and take a comfortable lead into the second leg?
Basel finished second in their league last season, but a full 14 points behind champions Zurich. Had you told them they would finish clear of Young Boys – who have dominated Swiss football for so long – then they would have been confident of a first title since 2017. As it is, they have turned to their former striker and one of their most famous sons in the shape of Alexander Frei to try and restore some of the glories he had as a player.
Frei won four league titles between 2009 and 2013, scoring plenty of goals along the way, and he now has the job on a permanent basis having had an interim spell in charge back in 2018.
Crusaders Preview – Will Crusaders take great confidence from their victory last time out and remain in the tie?
It may have just been the first round but Crusaders have already had some adventure to reach this stage. The North Irish club lost 2-1 away to Magpies in Gibraltar before staging a famous comeback in the return game to progress 4-3 on aggregate. Whatever happens from here they can point to a famous win but Stephen Baxter will be hoping that there is still some story to tell.
Baxter has been in charge of Crusaders for over 17 years, winning three league titles and enjoying some European football along the way.
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The experienced Billy Burns was the hero in the last round, scoring the winning goal in the third minute of injury time. Crusaders actually only levelled the tie with 10 minutes to go so it was really dramatic experience and one they left very late which would have made it all the sweeter.
Crusaders – who qualified for Europe courtesy of their Irish Cup win – don’t actually begin their league campaign for another three weeks which does put them at a disadvantage in some ways, but they will look at the fact they have played two competitive matches to their opponents one.
Basel vs Crusaders Betting Advice
This does look a mismatch on paper and the odds reflect that. Crusaders are very much minnows at this level with their players all part-time. And whilst Basel may not have competed at Europe’s top table for some time now, they are still able to be very competitive at this level – making it all the way to the round of 16 last season, having finished top of their section.
Whoever advances from this game will have a challenging match in the next round, with Polish or Danish opposition lying in wait.
Key Facts – Basel vs Crusaders Betting Tip
- Basel reached the knockout stages of last year’s Europa Conference League, eventually losing to Marseille
- Crusaders came back from a first leg defeat to see off Magpies from Gibraltar, winning 4-3 on aggregate
- The winners of this tie will face either Brondby or Pogon Szczecin
Basel should win this tie convincingly in the end up and they are capable of winning both halves in the first leg.
Best Betting Odds for Basel vs Crusaders
