Feyenoord vs Sturm Graz prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-14 16:45.
After losing their opening UEFA Europa League (UEL) game 4-2 at Lazio, Feyenoord bounced back with a commanding 3-0 win in the Rotterdam derby to maintain their unbeaten start to the domestic season. Runners up in last season’s inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, Feyenoord’s weekend win left them within touching distance of pace-setters Ajax in the Eredivisie, as they now focus on trying to achieve just a second UEL knockout appearance in five attempts.
Improving on some sketchy UEL home form is a must if Feyenoord are to realise their goal, as they have kept just a single clean sheet across the last seven home games in the competition proper (W2, D2, L3). While they seem to be rightful favourites, don’t be fooled by the strong odds-on price around Feyenoord, as they have failed to win over half of their prior games against Austrian opponents (W3, D1, L4).
As for Sturm Graz, they have lost six of their eight H2H encounters against Dutch sides, though the only two in which they avoided defeat came against Feyenoord (W1, D1)! Sturm failed to qualify for the knockouts in each of their last three UEL appearances, yet their relatively solid start in the Austrian Bundesliga may provide a source of inspiration ahead of this game (W4, D3, L1).
A 1-0 win over Midtjylland in the opening round set Sturm Graz up nicely, although almost half of the team ended up in the book with midfielder Stefan Hierlander seeing red. He could actually be a big miss, with Sturm failing to win 12 of their last 18 matches when he hasn’t featured in the team (W6, D5, L7).
Players to watch: Feyenoord’s Santiago Giménez is living the dream after his recent move from Mexico. He has contributed to five goals in his last three games (G4, A1), including a brace against Lazio! Formerly of Sparta Rotterdam, Sturm’s Emanuel Emegha both scored and was carded in his last two appearances.
Hot stat: Feyenoord are unbeaten in 17 of their last 19 European home games (W13, D4).