Salzburg (Aut) vs Twente (Ned) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2024-08-05 18:45.
[p]Headed by former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders, RB Salzburg have already confirmed their place in at least one of the major European league phases this season as they feature in UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. Yet their rampant start to the new season, in which they have scored nine goals across two dominant domestic victories, suggests they may expect to be dining at Europe’s top table this term. [/p]
[p]Lijnders will be hoping to continue his perfect start to life in Austria by extending Salzburg’s unbeaten run in Champions League third round qualifiers to seven games (W4, D2). Such an outcome seems highly likely as the Red Bulls’ last defeat in this sphere came away to Malmö back in 2015/16, while they’ve never lost a home game at this stage of qualifying in the club’s history (W4, D2), with three of those victories ending 1-0. [/p]
[p]Looking to end that imperious home record are Dutch side Twente, who have posted a solid, unbeaten pre-season schedule, but unlike their hosts, they have had no competitive action as of yet. That could leave them lacking match sharpness, although after leading the Enschede outfit to their highest Eredivisie finish in a decade last term (third), boss Joseph Oosting may be quietly confident his side can upset the odds.[/p]
[p]They weren’t able to do that in their only prior clash against Austrian opponents, a 5-3 aggregate defeat against Salzburg’s former iteration, Austria Salzburg, in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Since then, Twente have featured in just one Champions League group stage (league phase equivalent) but haven’t been so fortunate in the third qualifying round of this competition (W1, D3, L2), as the Enschede outfit have failed to score in four of those six matches. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Salzburg’s 20 year-old sensation Karim KonatĂ© made it 12 goals across his last eight appearances by scoring decisively before half-time in both of their games this season. Twente have their own impressive youngster in the form of 22 year-old midfielder Sem Steijn – the Dutchman has scored five goals across his last four competitive appearances whilst his first two goals of last season came in UEFA qualifiers. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: The winning team scored exactly three goals in six of the seven games between Salzburg and Dutch opposition that did not end level (W4, D3, L3). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]