Crusaders vs Basel Predictions

• Basel were well worth their 2-0 first-leg win, despite having a man sent off after just 33 minutes.
• Crusaders created very little in Switzerland and rarely threatened in a recent 3-0 friendly defeat to St Mirren.
• Basel have no league fixture next weekend – so no reason to rest, rotate or conserve energy.

Basel can make full quota count

Basel brushed brave Crusaders aside so easily with ten men last week that home advantage might not count for much when the Northern Irish side face a full quota at Seaview on Thursday. FCB could and should have won 4-0 at St. Jakob Park, despite Taulent Xhaka seeing two yellow cards in quick succession in a fashion that older brother Granit thought he had made his own.

Crusaders created very little in Switzerland and rarely threatened in a recent 3-0 friendly defeat to St Mirren either, so backing them to score could be fraught with danger.

Basel kept three away clean sheets on the trot at the back end of the last Super League campaign and were unlucky not to claim all three points in their weekend home assignment against Servette.

Blank fixture ahead leaves no excuses

The Servette keeper was the busiest player on the park, making eight saves in total to preserve an unlikely point in a 1-1 draw that left the home side and their fans frustrated. Basel should be determined not to let anything like that happen again and, with no Super League fixture on the schedule for them next weekend, there’s no reason for players to be rested or rotated in Belfast.

Backing the visitors to walk it is tempting as they showed they are so much better than Crusaders at home. The old adage of never backing a team that don’t need to win springs to mind, but the hosts are unappealing and don’t look like contributing much of a goal threat here – so Basel to win with at least three strikes registered gets our vote.