Zalgiris vs Struga Prediction, Tips & Odds – Jul. 11, 2023
Zalgiris vs Struga Prediction 11.07.2023. The first round of Champions League qualification brings us a potentially very interesting duel. It is a match between Zalgiris and Struga.
We found the best odds for this game at the popular 20bet Sportsbook. You will get an attractive Welcome Bonus for all newly registered customers if you register today. Read our article if you wonder how to claim this 20bet Welcome Bonus.
Zalgiris vs Struga Odds
Zalgiris vs Struga 1×2: 1.48 / 4.37 / 7.17
Total goals over/under (2.5): 2.02 / 1.83
Odds via 20Bet Sportsbook.
Match Preview
Neither of them can be categorized as teams expected to achieve significant success in Europe. This especially applies to the guests, for whom this is a historic participation in the Champions League qualifiers.
However, we must say that in previous seasons Zalgiris has been particularly tough to beat at home. But, apart from sporadic victories against teams from the “lower tier,” the Lithuanian team cannot boast of any major successes.
The advantage for Zalgiris is certainly the fact that they are well into their competitive rhythm, as football in the Lithuanian A Lyga is already in full swing, while the guests, for example, played their last competitive match almost two months ago.
Zalgiris is three points behind the league leaders Panevezys and is fighting fiercely to reclaim the top spot. The home team is characterized by a very aggressive defense, which is particularly evident at home, where they have conceded only seven goals in ten matches. As for their offensive performance, we must mention that Zalgiris has scored as many as 14 goals in their last four matches, but one should be cautious about that considering that the Lithuanian A Lyga is not particularly competitive.
On the other hand, Struga convincingly won the domestic championship, finishing the season with a ten-point lead over Shkupi and eleven points ahead of Shkendija. Their successful season was “spoiled” by a defeat in the final of the national cup. But, that cannot tarnish the fact that this team has shown a certain quality that has earned them a historic chance to “shine” in Europe.
During this summer, Struga strengthened their squad in key positions. So, they can be expected to put up a determined fight and serious resistance.
Zalgiris vs Struga H2H
This will be the first encounter between these teams.
Injuries and suspensions
According to the latest information, there are no significant absences that could affect the outcome of this match.
Zalgiris vs Struga Prediction
The current form and home field advantage are on Zalgiris’ side. So, It’s reasonable to expect them to win the first match at home. However, we won’t easily dismiss the guests, who are participating in these qualifiers for the first time and will surely be motivated to leave a strong impression and try to advance to the next round.
Although bookmakers favor Zalgiris (which is reasonable), we cannot say that Zalgiris has a significantly better squad than the guests to easily bet our money on the home team’s victory. It is clear that Zalgiris will seek to impose control and break the opponent’s resistance with an early goal. But, we also believe that the guests will primarily focus on defending their goal in the hope that a favorable result can give them hope in the second leg.
All in all, we can expect a tough match with not many goals. We believe the guests will try to “park the bus” in front of their goal, and Struga would be satisfied even with a minimal defeat.
The first option that appeals to us is betting on an Asian handicap of 1.5 on the guests, which is currently offered at an excellent odds of 1.62 by 20bet. This means we are betting that the guests will either avoid defeat or lose by a maximum of one goal.
The second option is betting on the number of goals. Bet365, at the time of writing this text, offers an outstanding 1.90 for the “under 2.5” market, which we believe is definitely worth the risk.
Kick-off Time: Tuesday, 11.07.2023 18:00 CET
Prediction: Struga +1.5
Odds: 1,62
Sportsbook: 20bet