As the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers are over, teams are gearing themselves up for the second leg of this round, so as to finish the job and book their places into the 2nd round of the Europa League qualifiers. Maltese club Balzan will welcome Videoton from Hungary, in an attempt to avenge the first leg defeat. On the other side, Scottish side Rangers will visit Luxembourg based club Niedercorn, hoping to book a spot in the second round of the qualifiers. Read on for the previews of both the matches.
BALZAN (MLT) vs. VIDEOTON (HUN)
Three – Way: 1: BALZAN +625; X: +375 Draw; 2: VIDEOTON -233
Spread +1: BALZAN +110; VIDEOTON -128
Total +2.5: Over +106; Under -127
FC BALZAN
FC Balzan hasn’t been in the best of forms of late. Of their last 6 competitive matches, Balzan has lost three, drawn one, and won two. Both of their last 2 matches resulted in defeats. A 2:1 loss in the league against Sliema Wanderers back in May, was followed by defeat in the recent match against Videoton in the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers by 2:0.
They have scored 10 goals in their last 6 games, and in the same matches, conceded 8 goals. This shows that they have been steady with their goals, and at the same time, they haven’t also shipped in a lot of goals.
FC Balzan has been pretty active in the transfer market this season. They have already brought six new signings to the club. They have signed defender Michael Johnson and goalkeeper Dorian Bugeja, both under 23 Polish players. They also made some smart free singings: Brazilian attackers Kadu and Lecao, and Serbians Milan Savic and Uros Ljuborimaric
VIDEOTON
This club has been on a pretty good run of form. Over the last six competitive games, they have been defeated only once. The other matches have been five wins. Their last match was a 2:0 victory in the first leg of the Europa League, which was preceded by a loss against Budapest Honved by 1:0.
In their last six matches, Videoton has scored an impressive 14 goals, while conceding just four. These stats indicate towards a well balanced attacking intent in the team, along with defensive resilience.
They have had 4 new additions in their squad, although three of them are players who had gone out on loan. Defenders Adam Simon and Marton Lorentz, along with young striker Viktor Sejben have all returned from their loan spells, while Videoton have also signed young left back Krisztian Tamas on a free transfer, who was an unused sub in the first leg of the Europa League.
BALZAN (MLT) vs. VIDEOTON (HUN) – Match Prediction:
Videoton dominated the first game and has fully deserved the 2:0 win. On the other side, Balzan is hoping to use the home advantage and possibly create an upset. However, one must also consider the fact that the away team has been in a much better and consistent form, while Balzan has been on a topsy-turvy curve.
Therefore, it will be safe to assume that Videoton will be the one to snatch the three points here, even if the home team does cause some problems. Despite expecting the visitors to win, I will go with both teams scoring.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (+127)
NIEDERCORN (LUX) vs. RANGERS (SCO)
Three – Way: NIEDERCORN +1200; X: +536 Draw; 2: RANGERS -357
Spread +1.5: NIEDERCORN +125; RANGERS -130
Total +3: Over -128; Under +104
NIEDERCORN
Before the first leg of the current Europa League qualifiers, Niedercorn were in absolutely breathtaking form. They had won 5 out of the 6 matches and drew the other one. However, they weren’t able to continue on this good run as they were defeated 1:0 by Rangers back in the first leg. This agonizing defeat was following a 5:4 away win in the league.
During the afore mentioned period of 7 games, this team has scored an astonishing 22 goals, while conceding 9. They will hope that they can carry on their red hot form in front of goal to stand a chance of qualifying to the second round.
Niedercorrn has been absolutely frantic and efficient in their transfer dealings so far. They have signed a total of 10 players this season, all on free transfers. Among them, Yann Matias, Theo Sully and goalkeeper Muamer Mahmutovic are players that are under-21 years of age and will bring fresh enthusiasm.
RANGERS
The Scottish club has been in a decent run form. Of their last six matches, they have won 4, and lost two. Their last two results have been victories; a 2:1 win over St Johnstone, followed by a 1:0 win in the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers against Niedercorn.
In their current run over the last six games, they have scored 8 goals, while conceding 10. This underlines the fact that Rangers often rely on edging out matches to get points. They create quite a few chances, but many times fail to convert them into goals.
They have bought four new players for the season. Portuguese players Daniel Candeias and Fabio Cardoso, along with forwards Eduardo Herrera from Mexico and Aflredo Morelos from Colombia, have been drafted in with hopes of improving the existing team. They have also brought in Portuguese international Bruno Alves on a free transfer, and will be looking forward to his experience.
NIEDERCORN (LUX) vs. RANGERS (SCO) – Match Prediction:
After the financial crisis in 2012, Rangers are finally making an entrance into the European stage, albeit at a very small scale currently. This should motivate them and drive them to a victory in the second leg, along with the good form of the team over the past few matches. However, Niedercorn is on a very good run of form themselves, and they have only lost narrowly in the first leg.
So this match has all the ingredients to be a very vital one for both teams, especially considering that the visitors are entering this matchup with only 1 goal advantage. However, considering the size and the players of both the clubs; I would place my bet on Rangers winning this one. Still, I will go with the both teams to score at least one goal, while also going with the over.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (+118)
Additional Pick: Over 3 goals (-128)
