Piast Gliwice V BATE Borisov
Wednesday 17th July 2019 – 19:00 Kick-Off
UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round
Pick: Piast to WIN
Odds: 93/100
Bookmaker: Bet22
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93/100 | 5/2 | 53/20 |
* (All betting odds displayed in this article were correct as of July 15th, 2019 at 18:17)
First Leg: BATE Borisov 1-1 Piast Gliwice (Goals: Stanislaw Drahun; Piotr Parzyszek)
Preview: It finished honours even in Belarus as BATE Borisov and Piast Gliwice cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw. The bulk of the scoring opportunities were created by the Polish champions, who were successful in banking at least one away goal. However, the most successful side in Belarus have experienced it all in Europe and are unlikely to go down without a fight in Poland.
Champions League Betting at Bet22
Piast Preview – Polish champs to secure maiden European victory?
Despite a lack of experience in European competitions, Piast will have taken a lot of heart and encouragement from their display out in Belarus. The Polish champions were the better side over the course of the first 90 minutes as they created twice as many scoring opportunities, and were perhaps slightly unfortunate to depart with only the one away goal to show for their efforts.
That was the club’s fifth fixture competing on the continent (D3 L2), and perhaps their closest yet to registering a maiden victory. We can expect an even stronger performance back in Poland however, where their form over the past twelve months has been exceptional. No team in the Polish Ekstraklasa earned as many points from home fixtures than Piast in 2018-19 (48 – a tally seven better than the next best); while only Legia Warsaw, early into the season, were victorious at their Piast Stadion (Piast home record in 2018-19: W15 D3 L1, GF35 GA10).
Formidable stuff from a team that was impressive enough in the first leg and should raise their game further still, now back playing in front of a raucous home support. Those same fans will be hoping the performance on this occasion is a significant improvement on the last European game held in Piast: a resounding 3-0 loss to Swedish side Malmo in a 2016 Europa League Qualifier. The only other continental offering at home came in 2013, a 2-2 draw with Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag.
A key facet of their game is undoubtedly the defence. The team nicknamed Piastunki (the Custodians) boasted vastly superior defensive numbers in the Polish topflight last term, conceding on average 0.89 goals-per-game (that figure improves to 0.53 when playing at home) as well as keeping clean sheets in 58% of home games. Piast Win to Nil is available at 21/10 with BetFred.
BATE Borisov Preview – Belarusians to display their superior European nous?
Untouchable in Belarus, where they have won 13 consecutive championships, BATE Borisov have also showcased their talents frequently in front of a global audience. The club has featured in the group stages of either the Champions League or Europa League in nine of the past ten seasons, although the most recent of which were spent in the latter competition. Which is precisely where they are heading unless they can produce an upgrade on the timid showing produced in the first leg.
Their deficit is a minuscule one, however; a 1-1 draw in Belarus a week ago means they trail this tie by virtue of a solitary away goal. For a club which has competed against some of the biggest names in football on a fairly regular basis, the task at hand will seem relatively facile and is unlikely to phase them. Bet365 offer 13/8 on BATE to qualify.
During last season’s Champions League qualifiers they went to both Finland and Azerbaijan to earn vital victories, against HJK Helsinki (2-1) and Qarabag (1-0) respectively. So, they are certainly capable; they’ve proven as much. The play-off round pitted them against much steelier opposition though, in the shape of Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, whom they subsequently lost to 6-2 on aggregate. The away leg in particular was a rough experience, losing 3-0 in Holland.
If their domestic form is anything to go by, BATE do typically encounter more issues on their travels. Last season saw them suffer all three of their league defeats on the road (W11 D1 L3). This season, their away record remains reasonably strong with five wins out of seven (W5 D1 L1). However, it was achieved whilst scoring at a more modest rate of 1.57 per game compared to 2.17 when at home.
Piast V BATE Borisov Key Facts:
- Piast secured their first Polish championship in 2018-19, with a strong record at home (W15 D3 L1) a big reason behind their success.
- BATE Borisov suffered all three of their league defeats in 2018-19 on their travels (W11 D1 L3).
- Piast created more chances in the first leg but had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Belarus.
Betting Summary
Just a solitary away goal separates these two teams. That goal in Belarus for Piast means they are under no pressure to take any risks here, with the onus firmly on the visitors to alter the complexion of the tie. That should suit the hosts, playing at a ground where they produced some superb form in the Polish Ekstraklasa en route to claiming a first championship earlier in the year.
Piast should therefore be on a high, on the back of a hugely successful period in the club’s history, and could take some stopping at a stadium which has become a fortress to them. BATE are capable of producing something special though, as they’ve done on numerous occasions over the years in these early qualifying rounds. The momentum, however, appears to be with the Polish champions – arguably the better side in the first leg.
The home side are worthy of a punt here. Under 2.5 Goals (at 7/10 with SportingBet)could be a solid alternative, though. Piast conceded just ten times at home throughout the whole of last season, while BATE Borisov only shipped three goals in their seven away fixtures in the current Belarusian season.
