Crusaders v Wolves
Thursday, 20:00
Live on Premier Sport 2
Crusaders welcome Premier League side
Crusaders can look forward to a momentous night at Seaview as they host Premier League side Wolves in their Europa League qualifying tie. The part-timers produced a dogged defensive display at Molineux to limit Wolves to a 2-0 first leg victory. Diogo Jota’s first-half goal opened the scoring before a 93rd minute goal shot from Ruben Vinagre gave the hosts a bigger cushion.
After their gallant effort at Wolves, Crusaders boss Stephen Baxter hailed it as their best performance during his 20 years at the club. The Northern Ireland team were disciplined throughout although they had to rely on goalkeeper Sean O’Neill making a series of excellent saves. Crusaders came away with a huge amount of credit considering the disparity between the two sides.
Wolves bidding for run in Europe
Wolves are making their return to European competition for the first time since 1980 with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side rewarded for their domestic success last season. After guiding the ambitious club to promotion, the Portuguese boss led them to seventh place in the Premier League. The progressive coach is already looking ahead to Wolves’ development over the coming seasons and qualifying for Europe could be just the start.
After beating Manchester City on penalties to win the Asia Trophy, Wolves returned to England for the start of their Europa League campaign. Raul Jimenez is still working his way back to fitness after his break following Mexico’s involvement in the Gold Cup. The striker was given just over 30 minutes in the first leg and could be given more time on the pitch in Belfast.
It is no surprise to see Wolves are [1.13]favourites for victory in the second leg. There is a massive gulf in class and the visitors should underline this although their price offers absolutely no appeal. The Premier League side dominated the first match and a similar pattern is anticipated in the return game.
Crusaders are available at 20.0 but it is difficult to make a case for them even in front of their passionate home support. Realistically, keeping the scoreline down would be an achievement for them and odds of [8.4] on the draw also does not look generous enough. An away win is confidently expected but much like at Molineux, there is no interest in a bet on this market.
It is worth looking to Betfair’s Same Game Multi market for a potential bet on this match. Crusaders set their stall out to limit the damage in the first leg and another low-scoring defeat to Wolves looks a likely outcome in Belfast. Backing under 3.5 goals looks plausible with the defensive qualities of Crusaders, along with a strong goalkeeping display from O’Neill, coming to the fore. With Wolves already in the ascendancy, it would be no surprise if they eased up with one eye ahead to the start of the league season.
Crusaders struggled to threaten their opponents in the first match and lack the quality going forward to trouble the Wolves defence. Another clean sheet looks highly likely for Santo’s side and this is another bet worth taking. Combining a Wolves win, with no for both teams to score and under 3.5 goals inflates the odds to a backable 2.11.
Follow Simon’s bets on Twitter @watfordtipster
Source: Betfair Europa League
