Ferencvaros vs Plzen prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-02-12 17:45.
[p]After posting a balanced league phase record (W4, L4) in the UEFA Europa League (UEL), Hungarian title chasers FerencvĆ”ros must navigate a play-off in order to reach the last 16 of this seasonās competition. The final two league phase games served as Robbie Keaneās two first games in charge of the club (W1, L1), with the iconic Irishman seeking silverware in back-to-back seasons after winning the Israeli title with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023/24.Ā [/p]
[p]Favoured to take advantage in this home first leg by the bookmakers, FerencvĆ”ros confidently enter this on the back of a three-game winning run of UEL home matches, a streak which makes up part of a larger vein of positive competition form here in Budapest (W7, D2, L2). Yet the hosts donāt boast a positive record against Czech opponents (W13, D4, L17) ahead of their first competitive clash against Viktoria PlzeÅ.[/p]
[p]Finishing on an identical 12 points as their hosts in the league phase (W3, D3, L2), Miroslav Koubekās PlzeÅ find themselves in a UEL knockout tie for the first time since being eliminated in the round of 32 in 2018/19. Failing to win any of their last four away legs in UEL knockout ties since a 2014 away win in Donetsk (D1, L3), the forlorn Czech title chasers may make this relatively short trip with a sense of trepidation.[/p]
[p]Despite PlzeÅās storied European history, they have yet to face any Hungarian opposition in a competitive outing. Losing back-to-back competitive away games ahead of this, the first of which in Bilbao served to end PlzeÅās longest-ever unbeaten run of UEL away games (W3, D2), while the Czech side have also failed to keep clean sheets in ten of their last 11 UEL trips.Ā [/p]
[p]Players to watch: BarnabĆ”s Varga remains in the hunt to finish as the UEL top-scorer (G6), although the FerencvĆ”ros man has also been booked in six of his last seven competitive scoring appearances. Prince Kwabena Adu scored his first PlzeÅ goal in a UEL away game and has remained unbeaten when scoring for the club (W5, D2).Ā [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Four of FerencvĆ”rosā last five UEL home victories also saw both teams score.Ā [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]