Crvena Zvezda vs Maccabi Haifa Predictions

• Crvena Zvezda have scored at least two goals in all five of their home games this season.
• Maccabi Haifa have conceded at least two goals in two of their last three Champions League away qualifiers.

Hosts have lessons to learn from Haifa

Crvena Zvezda were given a timely lesson in the pitfalls of the Champions League in Haifa last week and should not make the same mistakes when Maccabi come looking to finish the job at their Rajko Mitic Stadion stronghold.

Dejan Stankovic’s side are probably too aggressive in their approach and, after going 2-1 up before half-time, would have been better served shutting up shop. However, they are used to blowing teams away in domestic competition and were caught out by the hosts impressive second-half turnaround to win the game 3-2.

The extent to which Crvena Zvezda are dominating the Serbian domestic scene is illustrated by their record of 29 unbeaten league games of which 27 were won. They have scored 21 goals and conceded just the once in five league games so far this term.

Maccabi’s Olympiakos win was an outlier

There will no doubt be an intimidating atmosphere waiting for the Israeli team, who tend to fare much better in front of their own fans. But they did pull off a shock 4-0 win at Olympiakos in the second qualifying round, so the Serbians will have to be on their mettle here.

However, that win in Greece was not in line with their usual away displays in European competition. The Greens’ travel sickness extends to seven defeats from their last ten trips now. They have shipped at least two goals in the majority of those, but in recent terms it is two from three.

The home win odds look good here, but the odds of the hosts scoring two or more goals are slightly better and they do need to score twice to go through, although extra time might do for them if they only construct a one-goal lead after 90 minutes. Crvena Zvezda’s incredible home record appeals more than the prospects of them making the same mistakes two weeks running and so a 2-0 win for Stankovic’s side is the preferred correct score forecast.