Sutjeska Niksic V Linfield
Tuesday 6th August 2019 – 19:15 Kick-Off
UEFA Europa League Third Round
Pick: Linfield or Draw (Double Chance)
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Bet365
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 67/100 | 11/4 | 15/4 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 5th August 2019 at 19:27)
Preview: The champions of Montenegro and Northern Ireland, respectively, compete for a spot in the Europa League play-offs as Sutjeska Niksic take on Linfield. Neither can boast strong records on the continent, though, which means solving which of these two progresses could be tricky. The Gradski Stadion in Niksic, Montenegro will be the venue.
UEFA Europa League Betting with 22Bet
Sutjeska Preview – Hosts to secure rare European victory?
The season begun with another opportunity to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition but has subsequently faltered like all those gone before for Montenegro’s Sutjeska Niksic, whose 4-0 aggregate loss to APOEL in the Champions League second round has condemned the title holders to the Europa League. Can they bounce back, up against opposition more akin to their level?
For a club with a lousy record in European competition altogether (they have only claimed victory once in eighteen matches: W1 D6 L11), this drop in standard may not aide them all that much. The defeat last time out to Cypriot side APOEL meant a fourth failure to bypass the second round of the Champions League in the club’s history, while their record in this particular tournament is actually far worse.
Sutjeska Niksic have never been victorious over the course of two legs in the Europa League, losing on all four previous attempts. In 2017/18 the four-time Montenegro champions were eliminated by Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia 3-1 on aggregate, drawing 0-0 at home. Meanwhile, 2018/19 was a closer affair versus Armenia’s Alshkert but still produced the same outcome, going down 1-0 at home to lose by the same score on aggregate.
However, the club nicknamed Plavi (The Blues) have competed well at home in Europe so far this season. There was a 1-1 draw with Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava, while a 1-0 loss to APOEL was slightly unfortunate on them considering they squandered a penalty. Confidence should have been restored at the weekend as well, beginning the new league campaign with a 1-0 win at Titograd.
Linfield Preview – Northern Irish champs dangerous after display in previous round?
Just like their opponents, Linfield started out in the Champions League first round due to their capture of a 53rd Northern Irish league title. The draw wasn’t kind, however, as the team also nicknamed ‘The Blues’ were tasked with overcoming Norwegian side Rosenborg. A resounding 6-0 defeat over the two legs meant demotion to the Europa League, where they have since gone on to record a little piece of history.
This is now uncharted territory. A 3-2 victory over HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands ensured Northern Ireland’s most successful club will be participating in the third round of a European tournament for the very first time. Their triumph owed a lot to a huge performance away from home where a couple of goals from forward Andrew Waterford earned Linfield a 2-2 draw in the Faroese capital.
A first away win in Europe since 2014 did evade their clutches, though, conceding an equaliser in the 89th minute only moments after retaking the lead. The final result suited them perfectly in the end, but did stretch their away drought in European competition to eight matches (D3 L5), which does include a heavy 4-0 loss in Norway to Rosenborg last month. Those strikes from Waterford also put an end to a run of three consecutive matches without managing to even score a goal on their travels.
Back in Ireland, Linfield are much more capable travellers. The side recorded wins in thirteen of its nineteen away fixtures during last season’s Northern Ireland Premiership (W13 D3 L3), keeping twelve clean sheets in the process.
Sutjeska V Linfield Key Facts:
- Sutjeska have won only one out of eighteen Champions League/Europa League matches (W1 D6 L11).
- Linfield have failed to win any of their previous eight away games in Europe (D3 L5).
- Eight of Sutjeska’s last nine European games have produced under 2.5 goals.
Betting Summary
A pitiful record of one win in eighteen European matches (W1 D6 L11) means Sutjeska are uneasy favourites to secure a rare victory here. Home advantage is obviously a significant factor in their odds-on quote, with performances against both Slovan Bratislava (1-1) and APOEL (L0-1) providing a modicum of encouragement. This is, however, still a side without a win in its past six matches at home in Europe (D2 L4), failing to even score in four.
Their opponents won’t strike a great deal of fear into them though, with Linfield winning only two of their past twelve games in continental action, and both those were earned in Northern Ireland. It is still form of more substance than their rivals, however, while the display out in the Faroe Islands in the previous round – scoring twice in a 2-2 draw, and almost winning – is at least minor evidence to suggest a positive outcome is plausible.
Irrespective of what competition it may be, Sutjeska have found life difficult in Europe on a frequent basis and I am happy to oppose them here, despite Linfield’s issues playing as the away side being well documented by myself. Sutjeska’s matches (eight of last nine in Europe) are typically low-scoring, while Linfield kept plenty of away clean sheets in the league last term. Under 2.5 goals at 4/6 with SkyBet is an alternative.
