BSC Young Boys vs Maccabi Haifa Prediction (29.08.2023)

After weeks and weeks of qualifying rounds, it’s all come down to this as we arrive at the play-offs. A parade of clubs across Europe are hoping to book their ticket to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, but they’ve got one last step to go before they can get there. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the second leg clash between Young Boys and Maccabi Haifa.

After losing their crown in 2022, Young Boys came straight back the next year and recaptured the Swiss Super League title. Now, they find themselves on the verge of reaching the Champions League group stage, which would be a real statement of intent and a sign of just how far they’ve come. In a tie like this, we don’t think they should come in with anything to lose, either.

The one thing that can be said for Young Boys after the first leg is that they stuck to what first brought them to the dance. They were resolute at the back and didn’t panic, but with zero shots on target, they need to improve from a 0-0 draw if they want to go through.

Maccabi Haifa won the Israeli Premier League last season to continue their run of domestic dominance that has been on display across the last couple of years. They are ever-present members of European football and although they are often undervalued or underrated by their opposition, they have the ability to spring an upset against some of the very best when they’re on top form.

Maccabi held almost 60% of the possession in the 0-0 first leg draw but in reality, they didn’t do a whole lot with it. They had the same number of shots as Young Boys did, only got two on target, and could’ve done far more to push the pace in the final 10-15 minutes.

There is quite clearly some nervous energy between these two clubs as they stand on the verge of the Champions League group stage. We’d argue that the fact Young Boys are at home would favour them, but you shouldn’t rule Maccabi out given the run they’ve been on. To conclude, we’re going to predict under 2.5 goals scored.