Dundalk vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

What a season Dundalk are having. They walked to the League of Ireland Premier Division title last term and are getting closer to retaining that title with a seven point lead over 2nd placed Cork City.

While all their league action was underway they entered the Champions League playoffs, and as usual they weren’t expected to make it very far. Unbelievably they beat the likes of FH and BATE to make it to the Champions League Playoffs. They ended up losing 3-1 to Legia Warsaw in this tie, but that still granted them entry to the Europa League group stages for the first time in their history.

This sparked a massive revival in form from a Dundalk side high on confidence. They won their next six games after the second leg draw with Legia Warsaw, setting them up nicely as they went into their first ever Europa League group game. They managed to take a point from AZ Alkmaar, and looking at their current displays in Europe, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that they challenge for qualification to the knockout rounds.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s season started a lot more recently than their opponents and more in line with the rest of the major European league. They have played six games so far, winning five of them and drawing one to put them in a familiar position at the top of the Israel Ligat Ha’al table.

Continentally they beat Gorica, Kairat, Pandurii Targu Jiu, and Hajduk Split to make it to this stage in the competition, which are rather favourable draws all throughout it.

Things didn’t go quite so well in their group opener though as they lost a 4-3 thriller at home to Zenit, despite being 3-0 up with just 20 minutes left to play. This ridiculous turnaround will have damaged their confidence, although they have since won three on the bounce.

Dundalk have been underdogs in all of their European clashes so far, and it’s no exception here. However, considering their performance at AZ and Maccabi, Tel Aviv’s spectacular blow out in the first group match, I think the hosts have a good chance. They have only lost two home games in normal time in their 17 matches this season, and odds of 3/4 for a Dundalk Win or Draw Double Chance look good value to me. I’m going for a 1-1 correct score prediction at 5/1 as well.