Antwerp (Bel) vs AEK Athens FC (Gre) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-08-21 19:00.
Belgian champions Royal Antwerp sit on the verge of club history, as winning this UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off tie would see them in the group stage of Europeâs elite competition for the first time in their history, more than 65 years after they made their first and only European Cup appearance. It was the first generation of Real Madridâs Galacticos standing in their way on that occasion, while this time their first-ever competitive meeting with AEK Athens awaits Mark van Bommelâs men.
Royal Antwerp head into the first leg as favourites for the tie, and that should come as no surprise given their very strong home form. The Reds lost just two of their 17 regular season league matches at the Bosuilstadion last term (W13, D2), and theyâve backed that up so far this campaign by winning their first two home matches by an aggregate score of 7-0.
Visiting AEK Athens are sure to have the support of many neutrals when they arrive in Belgium, after the tragic loss of one of their supporters before their qualifying tie with Dinamo Zagreb. AEK rode the wave of emotion to come through that tie against much-fancied opposition in the most dramatic fashion, netting in the 92nd and 100th minutes to seal progression to the play-off round.
MatĂas Almeydaâs men must now defy the odds once more, coming into this play-off round with the third-lowest UEFA coefficient of the 12 participating clubs. The Greek champions havenât graced the UCL stage since 2018/19, when they lost all six games in a âgroup of deathâ that included Bayern Munich, Benfica and Ajax. The Double-Headed Eagle will be determined to leave a better impression this time around, but to do that theyâll first need to overcome a miserable H2H record against Belgian opposition (W1, D7, L4).
Players to watch: Royal Antwerp forward Vincent Janssen has hit his stride in the early part of the season, netting four times in his last two games including a hat-trick against Kortrijk. Sergio Araujo triggered AEKâs comeback against Dinamo Zagreb, and him getting on the scoresheet is generally a good luck charm, as the Greek outfit have lost just one of his last ten goal scoring appearances (W8, D1).
Hot stat: Six red cards have been awarded across Royal Antwerpâs last ten competitive matches.