Sturm Graz – Slovan Bratislava : Preview & Prediction
Playing in European competition in the spring for the first time in more than two decades, Austrian side Sturm Graz is about to experience its third European tournament of the season. They finished third in Europa League Group D, and only goal difference narrowly earned them a place in the playoff round of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL), but technically after advancing from a UEFA group stage for the first time in the club’s history, they will be confident of winning this tie.
The home side are unbeaten in official matches this calendar year (G1, E1) and are currently locked in a tight battle with Salzburg at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga, but a look at their recent European record is somewhat difficult to process. That’s because Sturm has lost its last three continental matches without even scoring and has yet to win a home game in Europe this season (E1, P3), a performance that could cast doubt on its chances of advancing further in that competition.
Sturm’s recent European troubles should boost the morale of visiting Slovan Bratislava, who like their hosts have also participated in all three European competitions this season. They finished second behind Lille in the group stage of this competition with three wins to their name (E1, P2) and will now be looking to reach at least the round of 16 for the second consecutive campaign.
Comfortably sitting at the top of the Slovak Nike Liga after a 4-0 win in their first game of 2024 at the weekend, Slovan will be looking to make it a memorable first head-to-head encounter. However, they will have to rewrite the history books to get the win in this clash as they have lost their last three away games against Austrian clubs, conceding ten goals in the process, while their away record in Europe this season also remains all-or-nothing (G4, P3).
Players to watch: William Böving opened the scoring with each of his last three European goals, two of which came in the first half-hour. Vladimír Weiss, son of Slovan’s eponymous coach, could look to make a difference in the second half, having scored his last three European goals beyond the 50th minute.
Key stat: Both teams have scored in ten of Slovan’s last 11 matches at continental level.
Sturm Graz – Slovan Bratislava : Betting Tips
Sturm Graz – Win Odds: 1.90
