Rakow (Pol) vs Aris (Cyp) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-08-07 18:00.
After winning their first-ever Polish top-flight title last season, Raków Częstochowa are just two rounds away from making club history once more and reaching the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Known as the Religious Medallions, their only previous European adventures have come in the last two seasons, when they advanced on both occasions to the play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL), only to be defeated by Gent and Slavia Prague respectively.
However, after seeing off Estonian champions Flora and Azerbaijani outfit Qarabağ en route to this meeting with Aris Limassol, Raków will now be daring to dream. They've got little by way of UCL experience in the ranks to draw on, but they do at least know what UCL victory tastes like on home turf having emerged victorious in the home leg of the last two UCL qualifying rounds.
First-time Cypriot champions Aris are also UCL novices, having made their debut in continental competition just last term in the UECL, when they were knocked out by Azerbaijan’s Neftçi Baku before the group stage. After incredibly eliminating Belarusian giants BATE Borisov 11-5 on aggregate in the UCL second qualifying round this campaign however, the Light Brigade will be hoping to show similar courage as they head to the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków.
Intriguingly, Aris have netted first in their last eight competitive matches in which both teams have scored, affirming their status as premier entertainers. And with 14 of their last 20 goals arriving before the break, Aleksey Shpilevsky’s men will be looking to secure a first-leg advantage with another strong first-half display.
Players to watch: After impressing for relegated Lechia last season, Łukasz Zwoliński will be looking to continue his strong start to his Raków career, having netted five times in seven matches. Meanwhile, Mariusz Stępiński has scored in each of Aris’ three competitive matches so far in 2023/24 and also provided an assist in the 5-3 second-leg victory against BATE.
Hot stat: Raków have scored 12 of their 13 goals in all competitions this season in the second half.