Maccabi Haifa (Isr) vs Young Boys (Sui) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-08-22 19:00.
A 2-0 victory against Maccabi Petah Tikva in the Toto Cup Ligat Al sets Maccabi Haifa up perfectly for this UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off tie. Haifa have already come through three rounds of UCL qualifiers, beating Hamrun Spartans, Sheriff and Slovan Bratislava to leave them on the brink of securing successive UCL group stage appearances for the first time ever.
There’s little by way of history to lean on for inspiration for Haifa, who lock horns with Swiss opposition for the first time here as they take on Young Boys, a side boss Messay Dego described as a “tough opponent”. They can take heart from their home qualification record this term, winning all three of the home legs from their prior ties, though the fact they conceded exactly once in each game suggests they may once again be relying on their attack to bail them out.
With Young Boys remaining unbeaten after four rounds of Swiss Super League action (W2, D2), a 5-0 Swiss Cup first round win against third-tier Breitenrain probably wasn’t that much of a surprise. This is their first taste of European action this term as they make their UCL return after failing to qualify for the group stage of any continental competition last season, suffering an exit at this very stage of UEFA Europa Conference League qualification.
Given Young Boys have scored exactly five goals in two of their last three outings, you’d be forgiven for expecting an all-action approach here. However, their recent record in UCL away qualifiers would suggest a more conservative approach, with three of their last five such games ending level (W1, L1) – a result which boss RaphaĂ«l Wicky would probably be content with ahead of the return leg in Switzerland next week.
Players to watch: Tjaronn Chery is likely to be Maccabi Haifa’s creator-in-chief, clocking up an impressive hat-trick of assists in the home leg against Slovan Bratislava in the last round. Young Boys may look to Jean-Pierre Nsame to inspire them, and his goalscoring games usually guarantee entertainment, with his last four scoring appearances witnessing at least four goals.
Hot stat: Maccabi Haifa haven’t lost a home UCL qualifier since 2001 (W9, D2).