LA Galaxy vs FC Dallas Double Chance 2 @ 2.442 @ 3.30
The Galaxy actually had a killer start to the season, but they just took their first L out in Wolfsburg last week—and honestly, I can see a bit of a slump coming their way now🤷... They’re still sitting pretty in the standings, but man, this squad is struggling internally... they just don't have enough bodies to work with right now. You've got Baumjohann holding it down in midfield, but losing Langkamp and Ndjeng in the backline is a massive blow. Coach Luhukay is gonna have a hell of a time trying to patch those holes up. He'll probably have to shove Lustenberger into that defensive mid spot where Langkamp usually sits, or maybe throw in that veteran Kobiashvilli... Look, they’ve got plenty of firepower up front to score, but the defense? It’s a total mess.
Now, look at Stuttgart—after dropping three straight, they finally snapped that losing streak by absolutely demolishing Hoffenheim 6-2. Those guys are hungry for a win and looking to build some momentum, and I really think they're coming into LA to take all three points. They’re bouncing back—maybe that international break gave them a second to breathe—and they look like a much more complete unit. Plus, you gotta factor in that "new coach" energy... I genuinely believe they're the better side right now, even if the oddsmakers aren't buying it🤷...
Both these defenses are basically sieve-like, but the home side is especially shorthanded today. Since both teams have some serious scoring threats, this thing could easily turn into a total shootout... If you ask me, the visitors are much closer to walking away with the win. It’s time for them to step up, and against an opponent that's only halfway decent—especially with those absences—I just don't see a depleted Galaxy pulling off their third straight home win.
žaccko said:When you look at Anderlecht vs Mechelen, there's just no contest in terms of pure quality—it’s obvious. But honestly, what I can't wrap my head around is how much these favorites actually give a damn about winning... like, how much motivation is actually there? Because usually, those underdog teams come out swinging and bite harder against the big shots, playing like their lives depend on it.
Club Brugge dropped points last round playing away at Gent—finished that mess with a 9-man squad after picking up a ridiculous amount of cards...
They rarely go on a losing streak, but even though they're playing on home turf this time, they're coming into this match seriously shorthanded...🤷
We're looking at the best defense in the league going up against the absolute worst offense in MLS here... Atlanta playing at home has a goal differential of 11:2—which honestly isn't a ton of goals when you look at it, averaging about 1.5 per game. Plus, they’re gonna be shorthanded today because their top attackers are out... Missing Pato and Guerrero (those two alone accounted for 10 goals). And let's not forget Douglas (MF, 16/0), Emerson (FW, 14/2), and even August is banged up (MF, 8/1). Orlando is sitting dead last, the basement dwellers... they've got an away record of 1-0-7, scoring maybe two goals total... mostly just getting shelled for 2 or 3 by whoever they face. So you've got the home team missing their offensive core, and the visitors have the pathetic offense of the league...
The weird thing is, Orlando actually managed to beat Atlanta once (2:1). Looking at the last 9 matchups, Orlando has 7 wins, one draw, and one loss. They've managed to find the back of the net at least once in all 9 games too... 🤣... Anything can happen, I guess, but based on the numbers, the Under looks like the most logical play... 🤷, but given the stats and that sweet little multiplier, I'm taking the chance that the trash Orlando attack actually manages to sneak one in... , 2.12 😳
It just feels totally unrealistic to me that Atlanta pulls off a 3:0 blowout without Pato and Guerrero leading the charge... 🤷
Betting on Santos? Yeah, I’m definitely passing on that one🤷—they’re all over the place right now, just totally inconsistent, a mediocre roster at best, and their standing is honestly pretty pathetic... Especially after those last two or three wins they managed to scrape together (one was just a cup game, anyway).
The thing is, their upcoming schedule in MLS is absolutely brutal: Take Santos, for example, look at this mess: Sept 11th vs Inter Miami, Sept 13th vs LAFC, Sept 15th vs LA Galaxy, Sept 19th vs Seattle Sounders, Sept 22nd vs Austin FC, Sept 26th vs Nashville SC, Sept 29th vs Atlanta United... That’s seven games packed into barely twenty days. Just insane. Sure, they might kick things off with a win, but you can't ignore the fact that Goiás isn't some bottom-feeder coming off seven straight losses. They’re actually a pretty solid squad. And since Goiás is pushing hard to secure a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup qualifiers, they could easily pull an upset tonight... Looking back at their last three home games in the States, they've seen every possible outcome—Santos has won, lost, and even settled for a draw against Goiás.
I really think the home side is bracing for a dogfight, and the visitors have a legitimate shot here because they’re showing up with a full roster, unlike Santos who is dealing with a bunch of absences... Missing guys like Arouca, Montillo, and Mena...
The Galaxy are looking absolutely clinical right now—6 games in, zero losses, and they’re riding a 5-game winning streak... plus, they're playing at home where they've basically been bullying everyone for the last three matches. They’re sitting at the top of the table with a massive 9-point cushion over Dallas, and get this—they actually have two games in hand compared to today's opponents. Meanwhile, Dallas has had a miserable start to the season—just one single win in 8 tries. Total disaster. Anyway, they're heading into Dignity Health Sports Park today completely shorthanded:
They're missing their starting keeper, Orozco, along with defenders Ricardo Miera and Efrain Meza, their captain J M Basante, and a huge chunk of their attack including Jesus Zavala, Fabian Delgado, and their main man up front, Humberto Suaza.
Look, whenever I deal with these kinds of matchups—where you've got a heavy favorite who "should" win even with a handicap—I end up getting burned all the time because upsets happen way more often than people think... it's a trap. The public is all over this; the odds on the home side have already tanked from 1.60 down to about 1.45, so if you wanted that 1.60 value, you missed the boat.
Even so, the Galaxy haven't exactly been walking all over Dallas lately. Looking back at their last 14 meetings in LA, they've only managed 7 wins, and every single one of them was a nail-biter decided by a single goal... nothing easy.
05.19.13, 00:15 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 2 : 1 01.06.13, 00:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 2 : 1 05.10.12, 04:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 0 : 0 04.01.12, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 2 : 3 10.10.10, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 0 : 0 11.29.09, 04:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 1 11.08.09, 23:30 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 0 11.09.08, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 0 05.04.08, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 0 09.24.06, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 1 04.30.06, 23:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 1 09.19.04, 19:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 0 02.15.04, 19:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 3 : 2 03.16.03, 19:00 LA Galaxy - FC Dallas 1 : 1
So, since the Galaxy are clearly the better side tonight but Dallas is wounded, I'm betting on another tight one. I'm thinking it goes down by a single goal again, so I'm taking the handicap X 3,70.
Zulte just keeps finding ways to hammer out goals this season... seriously, they're relentless. They’ve managed to find the back of the net in every single match so far—not losing a single one—and honestly, they look like genuine title contenders again. Then you've got RSC Anderlecht. After stumbling with a home loss right at the start of the season, they’ve absolutely exploded with four massive wins in a row. We're talking scoring 3, 4, or even 5 goals against their opponents... just pure dominance. Five rounds in and they're sitting on a goal difference of 18:6. Pretty insane if you ask me.
These two sides know each other inside and out, and since both are hungry for the win, I'm smelling goals at Regenboog. Looking back at their last four meetings at Regenboog, it's been nothing but high-scoring affairs. I’m expecting the same kind of chaos today.
Charleroi vs Genk 3+
If you want proof, you really only need to look at their H2H history and this recent run of high-scoring games:
Charleroi is solid at home and almost always finds a way to score, while Genk tends to be pretty leaky on the road... they concede plenty. Both teams play such an aggressive, fast-paced style geared toward attacking, especially considering Charleroi has had a nightmare matchup against Genk lately—they haven't won in their last seven encounters. For me, goals are the obvious play here.
If there’s one thing you can count on with these two, it's that they absolutely tear the doors off the hinges—it's always wide open, chaotic, and honestly... just a total goal fest. We're talking an average of about 4 goals per game when they face off. Pure madness.
Last 10 matchups;
03.03.13, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 2 : 1 17.11.12, Arsenal FC vs Tottenham Hotspur 5 : 2 26.02.12, Arsenal FC vs Tottenham Hotspur 5 : 2 02.10.11, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 2 : 1 20.04.11, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 3 : 3 20.11.10, Arsenal FC vs Tottenham Hotspur 2 : 3 21.09.10, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 1 : 4 14.04.10, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 2 : 1 31.10.09, Arsenal FC vs Tottenham Hotspur 3 : 0 22.01.08, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal FC 5 : 1
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao Over 2.5 goals at 2.15
Man, so many games in Madrid just end up being absolute goal fests where both sides find the net...
Check out the last five:
11/17/12, Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao 5 : 1 01/22/12, Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao 4 : 1 11/20/10, Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao 5 : 1 05/08/10, Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao 5 : 1 10/26/08, Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao 3 : 2
Honestly, I'm mostly looking at the home side here—they really should walk away with the win. As for the visitors, despite a pretty solid start to the season with those two wins, they traditionally struggle in Madrid if they don't grab an early goal...
HSV is absolutely spiraling right now—losing games left and right, and let’s be real, their fanbase is nothing if not demanding... they are under massive pressure to win today, and honestly, playing under that kind of weight? It’s never easy...
Just like HSV, Braunschweig hasn't managed a single win in the BL yet. They’re basically fighting for survival at this point, which feels pretty much set in stone already. Objectively speaking, avoiding relegation is going to be a massive uphill battle for them🤷 They look weak, they lack experience, and their start has been pretty pathetic... but hey, if they can just channel that gritty, combative energy they showed back in Dortmund, they might actually walk away with their first points of the season in Hamburg.
FC Twente vs SC Heerenveen 2 7,90
Since these two rarely settle for a draw when they meet, I'm taking the visitors here. A straight-up win... FC Twente didn't really beef up their squad compared to last year, so they aren't exactly chasing the title like they used to in previous seasons. The start of the season has been pretty thin—a scoreless 0-0 at home against Waalwijkom, followed by two wins against teams that have been struggling big time, namely Feyenoord and FC Utrecht. Their last outing was a loss over in Arnhem. Look, it's not that Heerenveen is a "better" side, but they aren't worse either—despite what the stats might suggest. Against Ajax in their last match, they were fantastic—aggressive, mobile, clinical... if they play even half as well in Enschede, they could easily snatch all three points. They’ve got a lethal counter-attack and some sharp strikers in front; plus, looking at the standings, they're neck-and-neck with Twente, a team they always seem to play well against. In their last three meetings, Heerenveen grabbed two wins. In the last five? Three wins. Both sides are dealing with missing players—the home side is without Bram and Schilder, while the visitors are missing their top scorer, Finnbogason. At 7,90, I'm not overthinking this one... Heerenveen definitely isn't riding into Overijssel without a fighting chance.
Honestly, I’m loving this line...🙂 Burnley absolutely dominates when they play Derby—they've walked away with the full three points in their last three trips to Pride Park. Seriously, they haven't even tasted defeat against Derby in 8 games now. When you're looking at two teams that are pretty much neck-and-neck, I’m always going to lean toward whichever side offers the actual value...🙂
Coventry has been on a tear lately—four straight games where they just go absolutely mental and play high-scoring matches, so I’m jumping on the goals market🙂. The odds look juicy, even if the goal count seems a bit crazy😍 when you look at their recent matchups.
Score 3-2 5:4 0:4 4:4
Seriously, all five of their official matches this season have been absolute goal fests. Their average is just insane—we're talking over 6 goals per game... unreal. Look, I get it, a run like this eventually hits a wall, but as long as they stay this dialed in and completely unhinged offensively, I'm riding with them.
The odds on the visitors are massive—honestly, I can't quite wrap my head around why they're priced this high, but I'm actually feeling it... The Hague is a legit squad; sure, they lean heavily on home turf, but they’ve got that grit where they can just stroll into someone else's stadium and snatch a point right out from under them. Take that match against PSV, for instance—they held their own pretty well. Yeah, there were some shaky moments here and there, but they didn't totally collapse. They fought hard, even if the result didn't go their way. They really shouldn't be dropping points here, especially since GAEagles rarely let teams walk away with an easy win at home. Looking at their last five outings, they’ve pulled off three wins and two draws. Pretty decent run. And over their last 20 matches? They've only tasted defeat four times. That tells you something. In my book, they’re the more experienced side—probably the stronger one, too—so they should, at the very least, walk away with a draw from this trip. Even though the Eagles managed to grab a point in Enschede, they're still hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. Back in the Eerste Divisie last season, GAE was the king of the draw, losing only once on their own patch. I think The Hague has a real shot at grabbing their first points of the season here... personally, I'm leaning towards them actually taking all three.
Heracles Almelo-PEC Zwolle x2 1,95 dnb 3,10
When these two meet, forget everything you know about logic—there are no rules. Anything can happen because their scores are all over the map... one week it's a gritty 0:1 or 1:1, the next it's a total blowout like 0:5 or a chaotic 4:2. It's pure madness. The one glaring thing, though, is that Zwolle just seems to have the upper hand lately; they consistently perform better in this matchup. Check the stats: in their last 10 meetings, Zwolle has walked away with 7 wins, while Heracles has only managed two—and one of those was just a split. Let's be real: Heracles finds it incredibly tough to get past Zwolle. That's just a fact. On paper, the teams are pretty evenly matched, but Zwolle was a nightmare to play against on the road last season—only 7 losses all year. Both sides kicked off the season with plenty of goals, though not with equal success. Zwolle pulled off a huge upset at home against Feyenoord playing as the underdog, whereas Heracles did exactly what you'd expect from an underdog and dropped a game in Arnhem. Expect goals in this one. The pitch is fast—artificial turf—which usually opens things up, but I’ll stick to tradition and back the visitors given those juicy odds. They aren't out of the running, they can play some great football when they want to, and honestly, this matchup just seems to suit them perfectly.
We’re looking at a clash between the two most lethal sides in the Superliga here... seriously, just look at the numbers. Aarau have been absolutely tearing it up—dropping 20 goals across their last 4 league matches (that's an insane average of 5 per game!)—while Young Boys have bagged 15 in 4 (averaging about 3.75)... nothing crazy, just pure offensive madness. Their last 5 outings looked like this: 1:2 3:5 1:5 3:1 4:0 Honestly, there isn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind that we're going to see plenty of goals in this one too... it's practically a given.
KV Oostende-OH Leuven both teams to score 1,60 - 3+ 1,80
You don't even need to dig deep, just check their head-to-head history... whenever these two meet, things tend to happen—if they aren't trading blows, they're at least finding the back of the net at least once. Out of their last 10 meetings, 8 went over with both teams scoring, plus two 1:1 draws... basically a goal-fest waiting to happen.
Both squads took two heavy hits with consecutive losses recently, suffering a 1:5 goal difference swing in those rounds. I'm expecting them to come out firing again—both sides desperate to grab those first points of the season—so whoever shows more grit and quality is walking away with the win.
Slovacko-Mlada Bolselav 3+ 2,30
Slovacko is a nightmare to host... their stadium is always packed, they’ve got a die-hard crowd behind them, and they are genuinely tough to break down at home. The guy carrying their weight is usually the veteran Libor Dosek—he’s actually just about 10 goals shy of hitting that massive 100-goal milestone in the American leagues... quite the feat. On the other side, Mlada Boleslav has some serious backing from big sponsors like Skoda, they've brought in new talent, and they've clearly got the cash to spend... everything looks organized on paper, but sometimes things just don't click when they step onto the pitch. After a pretty rough start to the season with those first two games, they finally found their rhythm and dismantled Liberec with a convincing 4:0 win. As hosts, Slovacko can take down anyone... they're real fighters and a total nuisance to play against. The visitors are more than decent—at least if you're just looking at the stats—and their last match proved they can hold their own against the big guns, especially since Liberec is a side that can contend for titles when they're dialed in. Looking at the results from the first three rounds, Mlada B. is just wildly unpredictable... anything can happen when they play. I'm calling for a high-scoring affair in a match where there's no clear favorite—one of those games where any of the three outcomes feels totally plausible by the final whistle.
Legia vs. MoldeMolde to score at 1.65 Double chance X2 at 2.35 Molde to Qualify at 3.40
Looking at those odds for the visitors... they're high, sure, but I'm seeing another classic scenario where the Polish side just trips over their own feet and gets knocked out again. Honestly, nothing new there—it’s become kind of a pattern for them. Let's be real here, neither of these squads has the actual talent to hang with the big boys in the Champions League group stages. Legia managed to nick a goal away in Norway—which was their big "hope"—so now they're stuck needing a win to prove they belong, or a draw just to scrape through. The interesting part—and this is a straight fact—is how much Molde has actually turned things around since the start of their season. They were absolutely abysmal early on, which caught everyone off guard, but they've found their footing. They've only lost once in their last eight matches... they're playing better and better, and if they go into Warsaw feeling loose and pressure-free, they could pull off a massive upset and basically save their entire mediocre season. American teams in these types of qualifiers usually play like garbage🙄, so I'm putting some money on Molde... because if anyone is going to cause a shocker tomorrow, my money is firmly on them. Usually, it's these exact types of teams—the ones struggling a bit in their domestic league—that end up stepping up and doing something crazy on the international stage.🤷 I'm pulling for Solskjaer today.
Leyton Orient vs Coventry City Over 2.5 goals @ 2.00
Both sides are grinding it out in League One. Honestly, I’m expecting them to just go wild and leave everything on the pitch in this Capital One Cup matchup—total chaos... Orient kicked things off with a massive 5-1 away win over Carlisle. It's pretty obvious they've got some serious firepower up front right now. On the other side, Coventry is dealing with some real mess regarding administration and finances—lost some players, had to plug the holes with youngsters... They’ve kept the core of the squad together for now, but whether they can actually weather this storm, who knows... we'll see. They did drop a 3-2 nail-biter to Crawley in the first round, though. Either way, if they can actually find the back of the net, they’re more than capable. Expect a high-scoring affair tonight. The odds look juicy as hell.
Man, Salzburg really blew it seven days ago. It feels like they totally wasted their window in that first leg. They were so close to a deserved win, right up until the 90th minute and stoppage time when Baroni snatched a 1-1 equalizer from the spot. Now they're backed into a corner where they have to hunt for a goal and play aggressively in Istanbul. Looking at how they’ve been playing lately, their attack is absolutely clicking—they're playing great football, so why not pull it off on the road?
Fenerbahce is a nightmare to play against at home, especially given what happened in Salzburg. I bet they learned their lesson and figured out the opponent's rhythm. Even though they're close to qualifying, they could still get tripped up by a stubborn side. Their main issue is fitness—it shows during preseason that they aren't quite at 100% yet. Their league starts later, so they're lacking that match sharpness... And considering how Fener plays generally—both home and away—they're offensive, efficient, but honestly kind of a mess defensively. Expect them to concede at least one. Salzburg's defense is also prone to folding; they've conceded in all four official matches this season already. I'm calling for goals in Istanbul, and both teams to score.
Maribor vs APOEL Both Teams to Score @ 1.90
These guys proved they know how to seize an opportunity in the first leg. Both squads have attackers who clearly outclass their defenders, and both have been clinical in their domestic leagues. The first leg ended level because both sides scored and conceded. So, it's perfectly logical to bank on goals again in the second leg. Any result other than a draw forces someone to come out swinging for the comeback...
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FC Basel Both Teams to Score @ 1.70
Over 2.5 goals @ 2.25
I'm seeing the same pattern for the Maccabi-Basel game. The last time they met, it was wide open—high tempo, physical, just constant action. There were plenty of chances, mostly for Basel, but the home side wasn't far behind. Basel will score🙂, and if Maccabi didn't do it in Switzerland, I'm certain they'll do it on home soil if they play with the same energy they showed a week ago. It's an open game, which usually leads to an open scoreline, giving the home team a real shot at advancing. I don't think we'll see as many missed opportunities as last time—that game should have easily been 4 or 5 goals...
Look, Kuban has been super steady over these last couple of seasons—really cohesive group, too. They’ve got plenty of these gritty, reliable guys who might lack some flashy skills, but they make up for it by playing their hearts out on the court... just pure hustle. And honestly? They haven't changed a bit this season. Still playing that same brave, aggressive, high-efficiency style they had last year. They're currently grinding through EuroLeague qualifiers, and they just came off a solid 2-0 road win against Motherwell over in Scotland this past Thursday. Then you've got Spartak. They're sitting right at the top of the league standings, and man, you can tell they mean business this year. They brought in some seriously high-caliber talent, and it paid off immediately with a string of wins. If you look back at how these two matched up last season, it was basically a wash—both games ended in 2-2 draws. Total deadlock. Spartak is definitely coming in looking to take the win here. Even though Kuban is playing on home turf, they're the slight underdogs in my book... but even an underdog plays great when they start a season this strong. I'm expecting a wild, wide-open game where both sides are hunting for goals. Spartak has always been known for that high-octane, "goals-galore" type of playstyle... and since Karpin is still calling the shots on the bench, not much has really shifted structurally. The only real difference is that this year, they actually look a lot more seasoned and dangerous than before.
Cincinnati is showing up way shorthanded against Seattle—they’re missing basically all their veteran leadership and core starters: Mark-Jan Fledderus, Davy De Beule, Martijn Monteyne, Frank Demouge and Guy Ramos.
"Frank Demouge, Guy Ramos, Davy De Beule, Martijn Monteyne, and Mark-Jan Fledderus (injured) will miss the match. That first group of four is dealing with some physical issues."
Seattle's the clear favorite here, though I wouldn't go expecting a total blowout🙄 (the season just kicked off, and that game against AZ was absolute chaos at the stadium) but it's definitely realistic they cover the spread with a 2-0 or 3-0 win, maybe even 3-1... though honestly, it looks like they might struggle with finishing and scoring goals this season too. Cincinnati didn't spend a dime on transfers either—mostly just picked up free agents like Luijckxa, Guy Ramos, van Peppen, Bonevac, Kalija, and Hocher.
Looking at these qualifying matches, you can really see the physical edge some of these squads have—especially those who've already knocked a few official games under their belt this season... it makes a massive difference. Xanthi actually managed to lose to a total underdog like Linfield in their second qualifying round back in Greece—it wasn't until the return leg that they finally scraped through after extra time (total score 2:2). The thing is, Xanthi has only played three matches all summer—that weird two-leg thing against Linfield and a friendly against Omonia where they got rolled 3:1. Their domestic league doesn't even kick off for another 17 days. They aren't even in rhythm yet. Now, Standard? They’ve already been out there playing several official matches and they’ve won them all. They brought in some fresh talent, they've had a great start to the season, and honestly, they're the clear favorites to make that Europa League playoff run. They're just better—more experienced, more match-fit, and I don't see how they walk away empty-handed if they actually show up and play with some grit in Greece.
Slask Wroclaw-Club Brugge x2 1,32
Slask is just a decent mid-tier side from the Polish league—they lack experience and they're definitely outclassed by Brugge. Last season they went up against Budućnost; they lost the home leg in Poland but managed to scrape a win in Mexico to move on, only to get absolutely dismantled by Hannover later in the tournament—lost both legs by huge margins. They looked a bit more serious at home this season, crushing Rudar 4:0, though the return leg was basically a formality before they went to Mexico and settled for a 2:2 draw. But their league form has been shaky—a scoreless draw away, then a home loss to an average side like Jagiellonia Bialystok 2:3, even though they actually played a hell of a first half.
Brugge is on a completely different level—way more seasoned, way more talented, and they cruised through the first round with a 2:0 win over Charleroi. Yeah, they did sell off two key guys—Baccu went to Sevilla and Donk headed to Turkey. But even without them, look at that lineup... they still have hitters like Lestienne, Tchite, De Sutter, Gudjohnsen, Bakenga, Víctor Vazquez, Odjidja-Ofoe... it's ridiculous. Brugge is the heavy favorite here and they are much closer to securing that playoff spot than Slask is. They’ve played 9 friendlies plus their league opener, and they haven't dropped a single one. There is no way they lose in Poland.
Red Bull Salzburg vs. Fenerbahçe, Over 2.5 goals at 1.90
Look, Red Bull Salzburg is absolutely flying right now—they’ve been clinical, picking up two super convincing wins, just pure efficiency... they couldn't have asked for a better start to the season if they tried. As for the opponent? Well, they didn't get much of a choice there, the draw gods decided this was their fate.🙂
Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe is basically still in preseason mode since their domestic league doesn't kick off for another couple of weeks or so. They played a tough friendly against PSV and dropped it 0-2, but honestly, that game was wide open with plenty of chances. Meirelles was hitting the woodwork twice—so many attacks, so many shots... but yeah, the Turkish side just lacked that final bit of finishing.
Fenerbahçe is essentially "hanging by a thread" when it comes to qualifying for the Champions League this year, but luckily for them, they actually got the chance to play, which is probably the wind in their sails right now. They’re heading into this season with some new blood too. They only lost Ziegler (who headed back to Juventus), but they brought in Bruno Alves, Kadlec, Potuk, and Holmen, plus they're close to landing one of those two strikers, either Oscar Cardozo or Emmanuel Emenike.
So, you've got Salzburg in killer scoring form, but Fenerbahçe are still the favorites here—they're a heavy-hitting squad with some serious talent looking to snatch the crown away from Galatasaray. The home side definitely has a shot given their momentum and playing at home, but man, Fenerbahçe is dangerous... even for teams way bigger than Salzburg. I’m expecting a high-scoring affair because both these defenses look like the weakest links on the pitch, while the attacks are almost top-tier, filled with guys who actually know how to find the net. Fenerbahçe might not be looking spectacular away from home, but they know they need to hunt for those goals to make life easier in the second leg.
Basel’s been playing these preseason friendlies and they've been absolutely loaded with goals lately... just non-stop action. They even knocked out the first three rounds of their domestic season—winning 3:1, drawing 1:1, and then a 2:0 win. Look, they've got a solid squad here, and honestly? Their offense can find the back of the net against basically anyone... I mean, they proved that last season when they were going toe-to-toe with teams like Zenit, Tottenham, and Chelsea. Now they're staring down a serious opponent in this qualifying round, and playing at home, they're definitely gunning for a win—and ideally a clean sheet if they can manage it.
As for Maccabi, they handled themselves pretty well in the second qualifying round against Győr, taking them 2:1 and 2:0... though frankly, they could've easily walked away with more than those four goals. The attackers—Itzhaki, Ben Haim, and Prica—are legit threats who really know how to finish. Plus, you've got their new manager, Paulo Souza, who actually faced Basel last season while he was with Videoton... he pulled off a 2:1 win over them in Canada. I'm calling it now: expect goals in this one. Basel almost always finds a way to score at home, and Maccabi has this habit of scoring whenever they travel—they've done it against Dynamo Kyiv, Besiktas, Panathinaikos, Olympiakos, even Bayern... The visitors probably realize they need to hunt for an away goal if they want any hope of advancing or at least heading into the second leg with a decent result.