Utrecht take on the visitors Servette Panathinaikos in the second leg of UEFA Europa League semifinal round. First leg result: 3-1. The match will be played on Thursday, August 14th at Stadion Galgenwaard (Utrecht).
Utrecht showed rarely treats their fans to notable achievements. Last season could have even turned into a triumph. However, the far more experienced and star-studded Feyenoord pulled away in the race, securing 3rd place and thus earning a spot in the Champions League qualifiers. Ron Jans' men received a ticket to the Europa League instead. There, they started in impressive fashion against a seasoned Sheriff side, which was already in full swing both domestically and in European competitions. Yet they managed to beat them 3-1 in Tiraspol and 4-1 at home. After their trip to Switzerland, they also kicked off the new Eredivisie season, thrashing Heracles 4-0. The team has shown a strong attacking rhythm, scoring at least three goals in four of their last five matches. Defensively, they have also looked solid, conceding just twice across all competitions since the start of the season.
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Servette could not help but disappoint with their start. The "Maroons" have clearly left behind their prolonged crisis. Over the past few seasons, they managed to win the domestic cup, their first trophy in over two decades. They also finished third in the Super League for the second time in three seasons last spring. However, they began the new campaign poorly, first losing away to Young Boys, then being thrashed 1-4 at home by St. Gallen. In the previous round, they at least managed a 1-1 home draw against Grasshoppers. In the Champions League, after winning in the Czech Republic against Viktoria and quickly opening the score at home, they somehow allowed the visitors from Plzeň to reply three times, losing tamely. Moving to the Europa League, they again opened the scoring early, in the 12th minute, against their Dutch opponents, but then conceded three times in the second half. The team’s defense has been particularly vulnerable in recent weeks, conceding eight goals in their last three official games. Their inability to maintain focus after taking the lead has become a worrying trend for manager René Weiler.
At the end of 2022, the Swiss side claimed a narrow 1-0 victory in a friendly match. The Dutch are much stronger and should win at home by more than a single goal. We expect another victory for them, this time with a "-1 goal" handicap.
Prediction for the match: Utrecht to win with -1.0 handicap.
