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Plzen vs Antwerp Prediction & Betting tips
Although there is a widespread myth in the European competition that knockout matches are mostly in the second leg, the second round of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers provided the exact counter-example. In only three out of 46 pairings, the team could qualify for the next round, which lost the first leg.
In more than 30 matches, the team prevailed, which was able to make the first leg victorious. In that sense, the advantage of the first direct clash seems to be a profitable advantage. Royal Antwerp FC, who beat home 1-0 at Czech Republic’s home leg against Viktoria Pilsen a week ago, hopes to continue this impressive streak on Thursday night.
The Belgians have good chances to reach the playoffs before the return leg in the West Bohemian beer stronghold. The final hurdle before participating in the group stage would be FK Mariupol or AZ Alkmaar. Before the game Viktoria Pilsen against Antwerp, however, lower odds are offered to the hosts, who have not given up and hope for a reversal of the above trend.
Hope makes it above all the fact that the team coached by Pavel Vrba may take in front of home crowd, where the multiple Czech titleholder is traditionally a little stronger estimate. Despite recent disappointing performances, we keep a tip between Viktoria Pilsen and Antwerp on getting ahead of the home side for the more promising value variant.
Viktoria Pilsen:
The reigning Czech runner-up Viktoria Pilsen is somehow the worm in it. For four competitive matches, the Red-Blue players have not left the field as winners. In just as many matches remained the offensive to the form-weak goalie Krmencik without own goal.
At the weekend, the kickers from the West Bohemian city had to cope with the next bitter setback. In front of their own fans, the Pilsener lost 2-0 against the surprisingly strong 1st FC Slovacko and thus conceded on the fifth round at the national level, the first defeat (three wins, a draw).
With ten out of a possible 15 points, the Victoria still ranked third and thus holds the connection to leaders Slavia Prague. Significantly more restlessness in the environment of the team of coach Pavel Vrba triggers, however, the mentioned Torflaute. In five out of eight competitive games 2019/2020 the Pilsener scored no goal.
At the European level, the Red-Blue teams did not score in three out of three cases. In the second round of the Champions League qualification, the Czechs had to settle for Olympiakos Piraeus at home – despite odds + – with a 0-0. Away, the five-time national champion at 0: 4 was finally broken into pieces.
Also in the week before at 0: 1 in Antwerp, the attack was once again the problem child, although the guest even scored a goal more than the Belgian hosts under the line. A lack of self-confidence can not be denied, and yet Viktoria Pilsen is quite clearly favored in the second leg against Antwerp according to the odds.
We jump on this train and let the principle of hope speak. Should the vrba team finally break the knot offensively, then the chances are high that Viktoria Pilsen v. Antwerp the prognosis on getting ahead of the supposed favorites true. Qualitatively and above all in terms of experience, the Czechs should have the advantages on their side.
In the 2014/2015 season, the Bierstadt club was not represented in the Champions League or Europa League group stage. In the previous year Pilsen was also able to defeat two teams with AS Roma or Dinamo Zagreb (2-1 each), which are certainly to be settled via Antwerp. The Victoria is stronger in our eyes than she currently plays.
We believe that the Czech runner-up will be on the right track on time for the Europa League second leg and therefore tend to face Viktoria Pilsen vs. Viktoria Pilsen before the return leg. Antwerp to a tip on the Western Bohemia. With the exception of veteran Ciskovsky, all players are available. Pavel Vrba will choose an offensive route. If the home side scored an early goal, the audience would also pull along and a handicap success, which would be enough to progress, seems possible.
Antwerp:
In the late 80s and early 90s, the royal club from the Belgian port city experienced the most successful time in the club’s history so far. Among other things, the red-whites reached in 1993 the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, which was lost to Parma.
After Royal Antwerpen had completely disappeared from the European scene for some 25 years, the four-time Belgian champion (most recently in 1957) is now preparing to return to international business with timpani and trumpets. The first small step on the way to the 48-team preliminary round is definitely made.
Last Thursday, the team of Romanian coach Laszlo Bölöni scored 1-0 in the first leg against Viktoria Pilsen, scoring 1-0 in the first leg against Igor Rodrigues (29) to score the trumps in their own hands. Even an away goal would increase the chances of a draw in the playoffs many times over, since the Czechs would now need at least three own goals to go for total goals in the lead.
Diemeurci Mbokani and Co. proved on Sunday that fourth-year-olds of the highest league in the country of the third world championship, especially in foreign countries, can be quite vulnerable. After two distinct 4-1 wins over Waasland and Eupen, Antwerp lost their first competitive game in a 1-1 draw at Charleroi.
We are convinced that the internationally inexperienced Belgians could get a weak knee in the event of a first goal difference. Whether they are then able to move abroad from a potentially tricky situation seems questionable. Therefore, before the return match between Viktoria Pilsen and Antwerp, we are predicting that the progress of the guests will not be a matter of course.
With the exception of the former Bundesliga player Daniel Opare (Augsburg), all players should be ready for action. The main focus of the Czechs should lie on Dieumerci Mbokani, who was by far the best scorer of the Antwerp in the previous year and comes in the current season after three league games on six points scorer (four goals, two assists).
Plzen vs Antwerp head to head matches
08.08.19 EL Antwerp Plzen 1 : 0